Trust Issues
by JolinarJackson
Summary: After Torchwood One falls, Ianto Jones escapes with a half-converted cyberwoman, but UNIT catches them. Months later, Jack Harkness lets himself talk into taking over custody of Jones, not knowing that he's inviting trouble into his base.
1. Chapter 1

**Trust Issues**

_Word Count: _~ 31.900

_Summary: _After Torchwood One falls, Ianto Jones escapes with a half-converted cyberwoman in the back of a stolen van, but UNIT catches them. Four months later, Torchwood Three leader Jack Harkness lets himself talk into taking over custody of Prisoner Jones, not knowing that he's inviting trouble into his base.

_Characters: _Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Lisa Hallett, Doctor (Ten), OCs

_Pairing: _Ianto/Lisa Hallett, Ianto/Jack, Gwen/Rhys (implied)

_Rating: _R

_Spoiler: Everything Changes, Cyberwoman, Fragments_ / Doctor Who:_ Army Of Ghosts, Doomsday_

_Setting: _AU setting places it a while after _Everything Changes_

_Warnings: _Violence, language, mention of torture

_Author's Note: _Written for ianto_bigbang.

_Beta: _danian did the English version and Vistin, ravenja1170 and Inja Morgan did the German one. Thanks for your input and a special thanks to danian and Inja, who put up with not only my ianto_bigbang, but also my tw_bigbang about a month ago.

_Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The tv-shows _Torchwood_ and _Doctor Who _and the characters appearing within belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.

xxx

**Prologue**

Ianto Jones had left London behind like a thief: fast, quiet and guilty.

His hands were tight around the wheel of the Torchwood van he'd stolen, his eyes trained on the night-time street, his thoughts on the woman in the conversion unit he had stashed in the back of the vehicle, his suit clinging to his body with nervous, panicky sweat. The small door that connected the driver's cabin with the storage area was open, so that Ianto could see the back of the conversion unit when he looked over his shoulder. He needed to make sure that it was still there regularly, as if it would just disappear and take Lisa with it. He didn't like her still being in that thing. It was responsible for her condition after all. She'd told him that she needed it to stay alive, though, so he had to bear it. At least until they'd found a way to make her human again. He didn't know how they were going to accomplish that or where they were going, but then again, he hadn't known that he'd leave his whole life behind just a few hours ago. They were taking this one step at a time. They had to get far away from London first, then they would decide what to do.

Headlights flashed behind them and Ianto startled. He told himself to calm down. He couldn't overreact now. Lisa needed him. He tried to tell himself that the car behind them wasn't UNIT trying to catch him and Lisa. It was just some bloke or woman on their way home after a long day at the office. Or maybe a group of teenagers who'd spent the day in London and were now hurrying to get home before their parents realized it was nearly midnight. Another set of headlights lit up, then the second car swerved to the right to drive on the wrong side of the street beside its partner. Ianto's heart stopped for a second.

"Oh, no," he muttered. It was UNIT after all, coming to clean up the mess Torchwood One had created. Now, he could see the cars in the harsh glow of their headlights – typical, military models, brash and fast and sturdy, just like the UNIT officers themselves. He'd thought that with the chaos the invasion of the Daleks and Cybermen had left behind at Torchwood Tower, he would have a bit more time to hide Lisa. Apparently, he'd been wrong. He had to get away. They wouldn't understand. Lisa hadn't been fully converted into a Cyberman, yet. She wasn't like the monsters who'd killed and converted so many people today at Torchwood One. She could still be healed. UNIT would only see her as the enemy and kill her on the spot.

Unexpectedly, the communication system in the van crackled to life – apparently, it had been hacked. _"Mr. Ianto Jones,"_ a man's voice said, _"this is UNIT. Please pull over."_

"Like hell I will!" Ianto muttered and accelerated. The cars behind him kept up.

Lisa's voice came from the back of the van, scared and vulnerable, "Ianto? What's going on?"

"It's UNIT," he said. "I'm trying to get rid of them."

"How did they find us?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know."

The comm unit crackled again. _"Mr. Ianto Jones, pull over right now!"_

Instead, he drove faster. The street was a long straight line and Ianto knew that there was no way he would be able to win his race, but he would try. For Lisa. His beautiful Lisa who was now so scarred because of something Torchwood did. It had started so innocently with the ghost shifts. Everybody had been impressed when the first "ghosts" had appeared and the general population had soon picked up on the rumors Torchwood had created to cover up the true origin of their appearance. Ianto had believed the higher-ups of Torchwood. Oh, how he'd believed them when they'd told everybody that they were experiencing the dawn of a new age. And then the ghosts had turned into the invasion force of the Cybermen and even though they'd been conquered in the end, everything was gone – Ianto's working place, his friends, colleagues, team … he only had Lisa left. And he would do everything in his might to keep her, to make her fully human again. But he had to do this alone, because asking UNIT for help – the only other organization besides Torchwood knowing the truth – wasn't an option. There were too many military minds in their ranks to see more than an enemy in Lisa. Asking the Torchwood branches Two and Three would be madness, too, since they'd see things UNIT's way, as rarely as that happened. No, he had to do this alone. Find someplace to hide and then find somebody trustworthy to help reverse the process that had turned half of Lisa into a machine.

And then, suddenly, the engine of Ianto's car died with a splutter. The van was still rolling, carried by the forward momentum, but Ianto knew that would end soon enough.

"What ..." Ianto tried to start the engine again, but it didn't work.

"Ianto," Lisa cried, "run away! I don't want them to get you!"

He turned the key again and again, only getting a spluttering, sad response out of the car. He knew that UNIT had scavenged alien technology just like Torchwood and that they had quite probably designed a device to disturb engines of cars. That had to be the reason for the car dying in that moment. Then they rolled to a stop and just for a moment, everything was almost deadly quiet. Ianto heard his own fast breaths and he saw his hands shake. This was it. He would most certainly die in the next five minutes.

He scrambled out of the seat and through the small door to the back, slamming it shut. He searched out Lisa's hand in the weak headlight's illumination falling through the tinted windows of the back doors and squeezed it. Her hand was still warm, soft skin, no metal fused to her skin there to hinder their contact. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Outside, car doors slammed shut, there were voices yelling commands. UNIT was surrounding the van.

Ianto sought out Lisa's lips to steal a kiss, one of his hands strayed to her waist and encountered metal there, bolted into her bones and covering up her body. _'She's a Cyberman,'_ his mind whispered, but his heart ignored it: she was only half-converted, her mind and personality were still there, he could help her …

"Promise me to find her," Lisa whispered suddenly.

Ianto shook his head. "No promises. Lisa, we're going to be-"

"Promise!"

He closed his eyes.

Lisa sobbed. "Promise me you'll find her and say sorry."

Ianto silenced her with a kiss. "Okay," he whispered, more to make her stop implying that this was the last he'd ever see of her than intending to keep his promise. Because either they both walked out of this alive or … neither of them.

"You should have run," Lisa said.

Ianto kissed her again, breathing her scent in. Her perfume was still there – flowers and coconut. "No. I am where I need to be." His hand found the gun tucked into the belt of his suit trousers. "I love you," he said, just when the doors opened and someone yelled, "Hands up! Don't move!"

Ianto squeezed his eyes shut when the bright headlights of UNIT's cars blinded him, then he straightened and intended to shoot blindly, but somebody was behind him all of a sudden and grabbed his arm. The door to the cabin. He should have thought of that.

He screamed his rage and tried to turn around, but the soldier behind him wrestled him to the floor and took away the gun, before brutally cuffing his hands on his back. "Secured!" he said and pulled Ianto up, pressing him to his chest by holding the small chain of the cuffs and hooking an arm around Ianto's throat threateningly.

A dark-haired man in a neat green UNIT uniform stepped closer to the van and took an appraising look at Ianto and then Lisa. Ianto could see the insignias of a captain on his shoulder and assumed that he was in command of these men. The captain made a noise that was somewhere between disgust and pity. "Foster, get him out of there."

Ianto was shoved towards the doors.

He tried to reason with them. "No! She's not dangerous! She won't hurt you!"

Foster all but threw him out of the van. Ianto had no means of catching his fall and landed on the hard asphalt of the street. He was lucky that he didn't hit his head and he was sure that he felt one of his ribs break. He didn't care, but just turned onto his back and managed to roll up to kneel on the street. He wanted to get up, but a soldier stepped forwards and pointed his gun at Ianto's head, preventing any further movement. From the corner of his eye, Ianto saw Foster jump out of the van. He was huge and athletic. No wonder he hadn't stood a chance. Foster righted his red beret on his blonde hair, as if the short fight with Ianto had disheveled him. His dark eyes glittered while his lips formed a mean smile in Ianto's direction.

Ianto turned to look at the captain pleadingly. "She's harmless, only half-converted, she's not like them … she's not a Cyberman."

The captain looked him up and down and snorted. "Get him away. Put him in the car for questioning."

Foster's strong hands grabbed Ianto's arm and pulled him up ruthlessly, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process.

Ianto strained against the hold, trying to give the captain a pleading look. "Please don't!" he said.

The man just stared at him with an unreadable face and cold, dark eyes, then he addressed his soldiers, "Get ready to neutralize it."

"No!" Ianto screamed. He was pulled towards the cars. The soldiers trained their weapons on Lisa who started to cry and call Ianto's name. Ianto fought against Foster's hold, stumbling along behind him. "No!" Lisa looked at him, tears streaking down her face. Ianto let himself fall. "Please!" he sobbed. Foster cursed and tried to pull him to his feet but Ianto refused to stand on his own. He pleaded, "Don't kill her!"

The captain raised a hand. "Wait a minute, Foster."

Foster stopped dragging Ianto towards the cars.

The captain looked at Ianto for a long moment, then he said, "Fire."

The noise of the guns was almost drowned out by Ianto's scream. He saw Lisa being hit – in the chest, in the legs, in the arms, in the head ... everywhere! And they wouldn't stop!

"Stop!" he screamed. "Stop!"

The captain nodded at Foster and the last thing Ianto saw was Lisa's broken body, before he felt the butt of a gun smashing against his temple and lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**1.**

Ianto couldn't see. The darkness caused by the hood over his head was only occasionally broken by weak impressions of bright lights falling through small holes in the cloth.

He kept stumbling when he was dragged along a corridor. The hood was removed in a sparsely furnished room, then they secured his hands to the table and forced him to sit on one of the two chairs.

They left him alone for a very long time and all that had happened finally caught up with him. He bit his lip to suppress the sobs steadily rising in his throat. He knew that they were watching him via the camera in the corner of the ceiling. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry over his girlfriend. They'd murdered her after all. His whole, wonderful life had been shattered in the course of only ten hours. First the attack of the Cybermen and Daleks in Torchwood One, then seeing his friends die or being converted, blood and fire everywhere. The tower had been one big slaughterhouse. Then he'd found Lisa, half-converted. He'd run away with her, the fear of being found … he closed his eyes and tugged at the handcuffs, knowing he was lost. UNIT was known to be ruthless towards those they thought were traitors. Their prisons had been well-known in Torchwood. Ianto had never thought he'd end up in one.

All of this could have been avoided. If they – if _he_ – had only listened to Debbie back at Torchwood One when she'd warned them. She'd seen this coming before the ghosts everyone had been so delighted about had turned out to be the Cybermen's invading force. For weeks, she'd tried to tell them what was going on, that the ghost shifts were a mistake. He'd heard through the grapevine that Debbie had actually sent e-mails to the Torchwood branch in Cardiff several times after fruitlessly telling Yvonne and the other leaders of Torchwood One that nothing good would come out of the ghost shifts. And he'd heard that Cardiff had reacted to those e-mails and tried to talk Yvonne into stopping, just as fruitlessly. And then Debbie had vanished and Torchwood Three had cut all ties with Yvonne and Torchwood London.

Ianto had never had much time for the Cardiff branch. Some colleagues had told him that they were an arrogant bunch of know-it-alls dealing with alien trash coming through a Rift in space and time – nothing like Torchwood London with its big research department and the fight against real dangers threatening the whole planet.

The door opened and a man entered. He was an imposing soldier in his 40s with short black hair peeking out under the red beret. His UNIT uniform was stretched tight over his broad chest, displaying several medals. He was carrying a thin file. He closed the door and sat down opposite Ianto, putting the file on the table. "I'm Colonel Leo Stark," he said. "I'll be responsible for you during your stay." He opened the file. "Mr. Ianto Jones, 24, Welsh, Torchwood archivist for one year and then a promotion to junior researcher a few months ago." He made a thoughtful noise, closed the file and folded his hands on top of it, his green eyes piercing Ianto's. "And today you became a traitor."

"I didn't betray anyone."

"I beg to differ."

"I don't care."

"You should." Stark steepled his fingers under his chin. "Were there other Cybermen you hid away?"

Ianto swallowed. "What?"

"Other Cybermen," Stark repeated. "You sympathise with these creatures. We just wonder-"

"I don't sympathise with them!" Ianto snapped. "They killed all my friends, they-"

"Well, then," Stark interrupted him calmly, his voice not even rising, "how come you had one of them with you?"

Ianto stared at him incredulously. He should have known this would happen. They would frame him, keep him here ...

Stark tilted his head to the side, almost looking curious. "You tried to protect it."

"'Her'," Ianto said. "It's 'her' and she had a name."

"She was your girlfriend?"

"I'm sure that's in my file," Ianto answered.

"It is." Stark sighed. "Mr. Jones, don't make this difficult. Tell me where you hid the other Cybermen. The ones you transported out of the city before your girlfriend."

"I did no such thing!" Ianto said angrily. "I didn't."

"Were you involved in the invasion, Mr. Jones?"

"No!"

"You're one of only twenty-seven survivors. That's quite lucky."

Ianto felt like he was choking. Twenty-seven? Only twenty-seven out of over 800 people had survived … he closed his eyes against an overwhelming wave of pain. "Luck had nothing to do with it."

"You worked with them, right? You let them into this world and helped-"

"I didn't! I had nothing to do with it!"

"That's what you tell us, but there's no way you can prove that." Stark was still speaking calmly, almost as if he was trying to soothe him.

But Ianto was far too enraged – exhaustion and grief and shock coursing through his system. "There's no way you can prove the opposite!"

"You had a Cyberman in your car, Mr. Jones. That's proof."

Ianto was stumped. His hands balled to fist, straining against the chain.

Stark noticed. "Anger won't get you anywhere, Mr. Jones."

Ianto took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Stark waited a few seconds, then he looked at Ianto's file. "Since there's no way to prove that you are not a traitor, Mr. Jones, we will keep you here indefinitely."

Ianto shook his head. "No, no, no, you can't do that."

Stark got up.

Ianto stood, too, pulling at the restraints. "You can't do that!" he screamed, trying to follow Stark to the door, to make him _look_ at him and face what he was doing to him. But the table was bolted into the floor and didn't move an inch. Stark continued moving towards the door. Ianto kept trying to follow him. "Don't keep me here!" Stark's hand touched the doorknob. Ianto whispered, "Please."

Stark stopped. He turned back around to Ianto. "Then tell me the truth," he demanded softly.

Ianto saw a hint of kindness in Stark's eyes and nodded. "I am. I swear I am telling you the truth. It was only Lisa. I wanted to save her." His eyes widened when he had an idea. "I know you don't usually allow your prisoners contact with a lawyer, but there's an exception for Torchwood personnel. I want you to call Torchwood Three to speak for me. Please."

"Only your immediate superior can speak for you, Mr. Jones."

"I guess they're all dead," Ianto answered.

Stark nodded gravely.

"Then Jack Harkness as the leader of Torchwood Three is my immediate superior. I have the right to be heard."

"If he agrees."

"He's Torchwood. He has to. I'm … he's ..." The thought that Harkness wouldn't agree hadn't even occurred to him. Oh God, what if he didn't agree? He swallowed. "This is my life on the line, Colonel, please … I know Torchwood and UNIT have never been really friendly with each other, but … I didn't do these things you accuse me of and Harkness has to speak for me."

Stark gave a sharp nod. "You wait here."

xxx

Jack had sent Owen and Suzie to go through the ruins of what had once been Torchwood One and to bring him everything worthwhile they could find. He hadn't wanted UNIT to get a hold of precious artifacts. They would only use them in some way, thinking they were helping humanity to become better and bigger, but in the end causing death and destruction. He didn't have a high opinion of UNIT – or Torchwood One – and he wasn't afraid to admit that. That didn't mean that he didn't like some UNIT officials and Leo Stark was one of them. There were a lot of things he would do for him, but this went a step too far.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at print-outs of the list of deceased during the battle at Canary Wharf and shook his head. "No," he said. The Torchwood Hub was quiet. With Owen and Suzie gone, only Toshiko was working quietly at her desk, sifting through data of the attack. His team – Jack himself, too – was still a bit shocked. Torchwood One was just … gone. There just yesterday, gone today.

He heard Leo sigh deeply on the other end of the line. _"Well, I suppose I knew you would say that."_

Jack put the list on his desk and tried to flatten the crumpled paper out. He nudged a file of undone paperwork just a bit too hard in the process and it tumbled to the floor. He rolled his eyes. He'd never been good at all the administrative things that went with being a leader. He could deal with field work, but this … he tried to sort out his cluttered desk a bit. "I can't believe he carted off a Cyberman in the back of a van. How did he get past you guys?"

"_We don't really know. There was chaos everywhere. We only realised that something was wrong when one of the soldiers noticed an alarm in one of Torchwood's computers. One of the vans had left the car park without authorisation. It took hours to find him."_

"Well, it's good you did. Who knows what would have happened if he'd escaped." Jack left his desk alone and stared at the list instead. Torchwood One had done this to itself, but it was incredibly sad that so many people had to bear the consequences. And then one of them went and removed one of the Cybermen, risking another invasion. That had been either plain stupid or the Cybermen's back-up plan ... it didn't matter, really. Jack would never speak for that guy. He had enough on his hands and besides … his eyes caught one name on the list and he bit his lip. _Rose Tyler_. Jones could very well be responsible for her death. And that was unforgivable.

"_I agree." _Leo was quiet for a moment. _"I guess we'll have to deal with Jones now."_

Jack nodded slowly. "Is there any indication he had anything to do with the invasion?"

"_There's no indication to anything, Jack. You should see Torchwood Tower. It's a mess."_

"I've seen footage," Jack answered.

Leo cleared his throat. _"Jack, I wondered … you got custody over Toshiko Sato from us. I thought-" _

"What?" Jack asked. "That _I_ would deal with him?" His eyes found Tosh huddled at her desk, deep in thought. He still remembered her from when he'd gotten her out of the UNIT prison. She'd come a long way and he would do something like that again, but ... "Judging by what you told me, there's quite a difference between Jones and Toshiko. She was innocent and I _wanted_ her. I sure as hell don't want that man here." He leaned back in his chair. "Besides, are you suggesting that we take over questioning and imprisonment? That's not our job."

"_I know,"_ Leo said.

Jack rubbed his forehead. He knew why Leo even asked. He had never been comfortable with the way UNIT did questioning. Or what they called questioning. Jack called it torture: electrocution, beatings and sleep deprivation were only the beginning.

Jack and Leo knew each other from way back when UNIT and Torchwood had worked a case together. Jack remembered that Leo had taken to his new assignment to UNIT prison a few years with a vigour. He'd hoped to modernize the techniques used by taking advantage of alien technology such as mind-reading devices and similar things that would get answers without hurting the prisoners too much, but his commanding officer Geraldine Thompson had rapidly put up defences against Leo's new ideas, preferring to run the facility as she liked it. Leo had already asked for a transfer and was waiting for a new position that would suit him.

Jack knew that he was letting Leo down right now. He'd obviously hoped to get him to say yes. "I'm sorry," Jack said.

Leo sighed. _"It's okay. Thompson wouldn't let you take him either way. She prefers to keep UNIT business to UNIT. Maybe he is hiding something. It's just that he seemed so honest."_

"Who knows," Jack said, opening the Torchwood personnel files and calling up a picture of _Jones, Ianto_. The part of him that felt attracted to men immediately took notice. "He's cute, big blue eyes … maybe he thought that would help him out."

He and Leo said their goodbyes and hung up. Jack stared at Rose's name. Why had she even been in Torchwood Tower? She should have been with the Doctor, exploring the universe and having the time of her life …

Tosh knocked at his door and Jack gifted her with a smile. She returned it tiredly and sat in one of the chairs that weren't piled with forms and files. "I found something, an IM chat between two of Ms. Hartmann's secretaries. You were right. The Doctor was in Torchwood One when the invasion happened."

Jack closed his eyes. That meant that Rose had really been there as well.

Tosh continued, "UNIT confirms that he stopped the invasion and then left in his time machine." He took a deep breath. Tosh's voice got softer, "I'm sorry. I know you've been looking for him."

"Yes." He smiled slightly. "And I'll find him again. Somebody promised I would."

Tosh gave him a confused frown at that, but Jack just shook his head.

xxx

Ianto didn't see Stark again for three days. Instead, he saw soldiers sent by Stark who informed him that his request had been denied and that he would be heard if he wanted to confess anything. Then they started questioning him.

Now, cowering in a corner and trying to ignore all the pains that coursed through his body, Ianto wondered if he should confess something he didn't do just to stop the pain. That was when Stark entered the room. He closed the door and just looked at Ianto for a long time before he said, "Confessing really is the way to stop this."

Ianto buried his face in his hands and shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I just tried to help Lisa. I didn't start the invasion. I didn't help the Cybermen. I didn't hide any others away." He heard Stark coming closer and saw his polished shoes stopping next to him. He raised his head to see Stark crouching down.

"Are you sure? Being imprisoned for the rest of your life certainly beats being tortured."

Somehow, the kind voice and the softly spoken words made Ianto angry. "And you get to decide that?" he asked. "Who do you think you are – letting your men do the dirty work and coming down here every few days to see if they made progress?"

Stark's eyes narrowed. "I'm trying to help you."

Ianto saw red. All the pain – emotional and physical – exploded out of him and he pushed Stark back, sending him sprawling on the floor. Before Stark could get up again, Ianto was on him, pinning him to the floor and screaming at him, "You aren't! You don't even care! This is just a job for you!" He grabbed Stark's lapels and hissed, "How does that feel, not having control over everything? Being on the other side for once."

The door slammed open.

Ianto barely registered it. "I'm not confessing just so that you can get a nice little bonus!"

Hands grabbed him and tore him away from Stark.

Ianto kicked out. "You bastard! I bet you didn't even call Torchwood!"

A right hook sent Ianto to the floor and a kick to his ribs robbed him of his breath.

Stark yelled, "Stop it, Evans! I'm alright."

Ianto curled into himself and coughed weakly. When he tried to draw a breath, his ribs felt like they were set on fire. He whimpered.

Stark cleared his throat. "I think we'll let him be for a few days. We'll question him again when he's had some time to think about his options." The door opened and then Ianto heard Stark say, "I called Torchwood. It's not my fault they don't believe you." With that the door slammed shut.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Ianto muttered. He sobbed. "I didn't."

The soldier next to him, Evans, used his foot to turn Ianto on his back. He sneered with a mean grin and crouched down next to him, pulling his weapon and pointing it at Ianto's forehead. Ianto wished he would shoot. Instead, Evans just shrugged with false regret. "Not even Torchwood is on your side. Give it up."

Ianto barely felt the butt of the gun knock him out.

xxx

He woke in a small, dirty room with nothing in it but four walls, a bucket and a thick metal door. They'd stripped him and dressed him in an orange boilersuit.

For a long time, he just stared at the ceiling and wished he'd taken the chance back in the van, when UNIT had surrounded them, and shot himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**2.**

_Four Months Later …_

Leo watched Ianto Jones die.

It happened ever so slowly, but to Leo, the change was obvious. Anger was replaced by grief when the loss of his girlfriend hit home and that led to depression and then the deep resignation every UNIT prisoner showed after a while. Ianto's file was just as thin as it had been when he'd been brought here. No confession to anything else but getting his girlfriend out of London.

Leo opened the door to the cell and found Ianto curled up in a corner, head leaning against the wall and his legs drawn up to his chest. He motioned for the guard to wait outside and closed the door before joining Ianto, crouching down opposite him. "Hello, Ianto," he said softly.

He saw Ianto tense up, maybe expecting a blow. Old bruises and cuts were healing on his face and arms, and he'd lost weight. He looked small in the boilersuit, pale and exhausted. Leo hated what they'd done to him, what he himself had done to him by signing the orders for electrocution and all the other means of torture that left marks – be it visible ones or invisible ones. He knew it was probably naïve, but he doubted that Ianto had anything to confess. He thought that their assumption about Ianto being involved in the invasion had been rather fragile from the start. He'd tried to save his girlfriend, but there was no proof that he'd done the same for other Cybermen or that he'd helped them attack Torchwood Tower. It didn't matter anymore now, though. UNIT had lost interest in the battle of Canary Wharf and in Ianto, too. Now he was just another broken prisoner.

Leo whispered, "I wish I could do something for you. I wonder … if Jack Harkness would change his mind and take over custody for you. That would mean getting out of here and going to Torchwood. It's been done once before, with a woman who now works for Torchwood Three. Would you want that?"

Ianto's eyes glanced at Leo, then back at the wall. He let out a shuddering breath. "No." His voice was hoarse and soft, barely there.

Leo sighed deeply. He got up and left the cell. On his way back to his office, he decided to call Jack either way. He would feel guilty if he wouldn't have at least tried.

xxx

"I told you four months ago and I won't do it again, Leo: I don't want that man here," Jack said determinedly and leaned his arms on his desk. The piles of paperwork hadn't gotten smaller since the last call from Leo, the opposite was the case. He was ever so slowly drowning in it, even though he'd taken to filling it out at night, when the team was gone and he the only one left in the Hub. He didn't sleep much since he'd become immortal, which was kind of cruel. He enjoyed curling up under a warm blanket, even more so when he wasn't alone. But since he hadn't had any partners – be it flings, one night stands or lovers – for a while, he didn't miss it so much at the moment.

Leo sighed into the phone. _"Jack, need I remind you that you would have never have found Sato if it hadn't been for me?"_

Jack turned his head to watch Toshiko and the new girl Gwen play basketball against Owen in the main Hub. She seemed to get along great with Gwen, who was still so new on the team, and had taken to showing her the ropes. He was happy with his team, even though the loss of Suzie a few weeks ago still stung, and he had to admit that a big part of that happiness came from his decision to hire Tosh. Nevertheless … "That was different. She was innocent."

"_I don't think Ianto has anything to do with the battle."_

"He still helped a Cyberwoman," Jack said.

"_He loved her. I'd probably do the same for someone I love."_

Jack was running out of arguments fast. Leo just knew him too well. "I don't trust him."

"_He's Torchwood, Jack." _Leo sounded annoyed now. _"He's not even 25 and he's already dying here."_

"He's not my responsibility."

"_He's an archivist."_

Jack raised his eyebrows.

Leo continued, _"You've been bitching about the state of your archives for months, but you don't have the time to organize them and apparently, you're also too lazy to hire someone. He'd be perfect since he already knows what Torchwood is about."_

"That doesn't change that I don't trust him."

"_But you trust me, right, Jack?"_

Jack rolled his eyes and cursed softly.

Leo asked triumphantly, _"Don't you?"_

"Of course," Jack admitted grudgingly.

"_Nobody says that you should take him in and let him run around. You could start out slowly, establish some semblance of trust and reward good work with a bit more freedom."_

Jack sighed deeply, undecided.

"_This would mean a lot to me, Jack. I can't help all of them, but Jones … he has a chance with you,"_ Leo said.

"Fine. I'll ask the team and if – _if_ – they say it's okay, I'm going to come in and have a look."

"_Thank you."_

"That's not a yes yet, Leo."

"_I know,"_ Leo answered, _"but it's a chance."_

xxx

Owen's snort was unnaturally loud in the quiet boardroom of the Hub. He leaned back in his chair and stuck his chin out defiantly, glaring across the large table at Jack who was standing near the big flat screen currently displaying the Torchwood logo. "Hell, no!" he said.

Tosh glared at him from her seat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it says on the tin," Owen answered.

"Well, I say we give him a chance," Tosh said.

Owen looked at their newest team member. "Gwen?"

She seemed startled. "What?"

"What do you say?" Owen asked. "Are we taking the traitor in or not?"

Jack crossed his arms. He'd known that this wasn't going to be easy. This was playing out exactly as he'd suspected: Owen said no, Tosh said yes and Gwen was overwhelmed because the battle of Canary Wharf had been before she'd joined Torchwood and she had no emotional attachment to it whatsoever. He pushed away from the wall and walked over to the window front, staring darkly down into the cavernous room that was the main Hub, housing the armory, Jack's office and the desks of the team.

Owen's impatient voice rang out, "Say no!"

"Well, I'm not against trying to re-socialise prisoners," Gwen said.

"Prisoners," Owen replied, "but we're talking about a murderer here who practically killed over seven hundred people."

"Hey!" Jack interrupted, turning around to them. "Owen, that's not been proven. Be fair."

"Fair?" Owen asked. "He helped one of those things. That tells me he helped all of them. Who knows what could have happened if he'd managed to escape?"

"But it didn't happen," Jack said.

"I thought you hated Torchwood One."

"I do, but I also owe Leo Stark a favour," Jack answered, "and if we decide today to take Jones in, then all of us will have to help. No exceptions." He sighed. "I promised Leo that I'd take a look if you guys decide to give Jones a chance. So it's up to the three of you."

Tosh looked at Jack firmly. "I say yes." Owen and Gwen knew of her imprisonment by UNIT, but no details about what she'd gone through there. Jack, though, knew all about it and her eyes told him that she would do everything in her might to get Jones out.

Owen snorted. "I say no." He wasn't one for second chances, Jack knew that. He also knew that Owen would accept Ianto if it came down to it. Reluctantly and with a lot of bitching, but he would follow orders in the end. Everyone looked at Gwen. She swallowed. Jack had told her what had happened at Canary Wharf and he'd given all of them all the information he had about Jones. Nevertheless, her decision must be hard on her. He stepped behind her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

Finally, she said, "I think that we should give him a chance."

Owen cursed and Tosh smiled at Gwen.

Jack nodded. "So, it's decided then."


	4. Chapter 4

**3.**

As soon as they entered the narrow, bleak corridors of the UNIT prison behind Colonel Leo Stark, Tosh instinctively sidled closer to Jack's broad frame, trying to let his presence shield her from the memories. He put an arm around her shoulders as if he was guiding her along, but it actually allowed her to walk closer beside him. She gave him a grateful smile.

General Geraldine Thompson's office was small but posh, showing off photographs of her with several important politicians on the concrete walls and a family shot on the window sill behind her desk. The woman herself was tall and slim, charismatic but with an air of coldness about her that chilled Tosh to the bone. Thompson looked at Jack with barely concealed contempt in her blue eyes. "Captain Harkness."

"General," he answered with a nod, not bothering to offer his hand. "This is my technician Toshiko Sato."

Thompson gave Tosh one arched eyebrow. "Your arrangement seems to work out well." It was obvious that she wasn't talking to Tosh, so she refrained from answering. Jack had told her on their way to London that he didn't expect her to do anything but watch what was going on. She'd asked to come along, wanting to see Ianto Jones for herself as soon as possible.

"It does," Jack said and took one of the chairs that were standing in front of the desk for visitors.

Leo gestured for Tosh to take the other one, but she declined, instead standing next to Jack.

Leo sat down while Thompson said, "And now Leo tells me that you're looking for a new team member. Tell me, Captain, are you unable to use the usual recruitment methods?" She gifted Tosh with a withering stare.

"Well," Jack answered, "you have so many interesting people here. I can't resist."

"Jones?" Thompson asked incredulously. "I have no idea what Leo promised you in exchange for doing this, but he's not worth it."

"Let me be the judge of that."

"You'd give him back his freedom, Captain. That's not what he deserves."

"No freedom," Jack promised. "Believe me, I'll make very sure of that."

Thompson steepled her fingers beneath her chin, looking dubious.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Then, Jack leaned forwards. "You've finished your … interrogation. Now he's just in that cell, doing nothing, while he could be in my base, organizing my archives. A task that will take years. He can be useful."

"You're too easy on prisoners."

"Well, on innocent ones," Jack said with a glance at Tosh. "But he had a Cyberman in his van and whatever he has or doesn't have to do with the invasion, that's a fact. He's guilty of collaborating with at least one of those things, and I won't let him forget that."

"We won't either."

"Yeah, but what will you do? Keep him isolated until he shuts down and isn't aware of his surroundings anymore? I have a perfect job for him. No payment, no flat, no freedom. He will have to meet the team everyday and look them in the eye and they know what he did." Jack's voice was so cold that Tosh shifted away from him a bit. Jack was a caring, funny and warm man most of the time, but he could get so cruel and moody. Tosh didn't like that side of him. It made her afraid of him and it made her realize time and time again that the team knew next to nothing about their leader.

Leo seemed to be just as uncomfortable as Tosh. He cleared his throat. "I say we use Jones as a test subject. Let's see if we can re-socialize prisoners like him, use them as workers at UNIT and Torchwood."

Tosh didn't like the idea. It sounded an awful lot like slavery. But then, Jack trusted Leo and Leo cared enough to go out of his way to help Ianto. She knew that he was just trying to convince Thompson to let Ianto go, so she didn't object.

Thompson looked at both of the men thoughtfully, then she nodded. "Fine, talk to him."

xxx

Ianto tried to ignore the guard in the corner of the interrogation room. He didn't pay any attention to Jack Harkness's words, either. He just stared at the table and the grotesquely beautiful way the chain of his handcuffs was linked with it and thought about camping in France with Lisa.

A hand grabbed his chin and forced him to look into Harkness's eyes, the strong fingers digging into his jaw. "Are you listening?"

"No," he answered truthfully. He'd only heard bits and pieces of Harkness's words.

Harkness's eyes narrowed – blue and hard as steel – but when the UNIT guard standing in the corner hurried towards them, his hand already raised, Harkness turned to glare at him, not relinquishing his hold on Ianto. "Leave us alone."

The guard looked puzzled.

Harkness said, "Now."

"I have orders to protect-"

"I don't need your protection and he certainly doesn't need more bruises. Now, leave us alone!"

The guard nodded hastily and the door slammed shut behind him.

Harkness looked back at Ianto. "Why?"

"You abandoned me when I needed you and I-"

"I didn't abandon you! You were never my responsibility!" Harkness let go of him.

Ianto massaged his jaw. He had a feeling Harkness's fingers would leave bruises. They would match the ones he'd received during the last beating perfectly. Harkness remained standing and crossed his arms over his broad chest, obviously trying to intimidate. Ianto would have laughed hadn't he felt so miserable. There weren't many things left that could scare him anymore. UNIT had seen to that.

Ianto looked up at Harkness. "You hate Torchwood One."

Harkness shrugged. "Yeah, but that's nothing new. Those ghost shifts were waiting to become bad news from the first time they appeared and what did you do, stupid and arrogant as you are? You just go on creating them."

"I had nothing to with the project. You can't blame _me_ for that."

"I can do a lot of things. I can get you out of here or I could just leave you here for the rest of your miserable life. Makes no difference to me whatsoever."

Ianto gave a self-deprecating smile. "Do whatever you want. I don't care."

Harkness's handsome face settled into a frown. Oh, he didn't like it when the game wasn't played the way he wanted it to go. His temper had been well-known among the Torchwood One-employees. He could be sweet as candy one minute and cold the next, depending on his intentions. Ianto had to admit that it was almost fun to rile him up. Like he was playing with fire.

Harkness sat down. "Why did you even try to turn to me, then?"

Ianto pulled at the handcuffs. "You were my only chance!"

"Well, here I am, being your only chance again, because as I see it, your life is pretty much a worthless pile of crap at the moment, so take my offer!"

"So that I can be _your_ prisoner instead of theirs?" Ianto asked. "What would be the difference?"

"I wouldn't imprison you to beat you."

"No," Ianto hissed and before he knew what he was saying, he added, "You would rather imprison me to fuck me." With grim satisfaction, he noticed that he'd hit Harkness, hard. And it was some kind of rush – being able to hurt again after such a long time of being hurt. "I know all about you. We all did." He pulled at his restraints, unable to gesture the way he wanted to. "The grand Jack Harkness with his pretty team. Shagging everything. Why else would you want me? You don't care about my credentials or your archives, you are just a path-"

Harkness's hand closed around his throat, cutting off his words. "Careful now," Harkness said and stood up, pressing Ianto against the back of his chair. "You might think otherwise in a month or two and when you change your mind, I might decide not to care." He let got, turned away and left.

Ianto watched him go and tried to convince himself that this was what he wanted.

xxx

The hotel's restaurant was busy, but quiet. Every noise seemed to be swallowed up by the thick carpets and the warm lights. Tosh was glad that the Torchwood budget for this month allowed her and Jack to stay in a posh place. Or maybe Jack had paid it from his own accounts since he always preferred posh when away from home. Tosh decided that it didn't really matter. Jack had told her not to worry about it, so she didn't. He'd told her not to worry about the prices of the menu either, but Tosh felt a bit bad for eating a good meal while Jones probably wouldn't even get dinner.

She looked at Jack opposite her, carefully gauging his mood. It had brightened considerably since they left the prison. He'd flirted with the concierge, the waitress and the young man tending the bar. Tosh didn't know if he was trying to hook up for the night, but hadn't decided on the gender yet. With his charm and looks, he certainly could. She'd felt drawn to him herself when she'd started out at Torchwood. He was gorgeous and his WW II coat and the braces over simple dress shirts certainly made him unique among a crowd of men. He carried himself with a confidence that was refreshing and reassuring at once. In other circumstances, she would have made a joke about him not being able to decide, but she had different things on her mind tonight.

"May I talk to him?"

Jack looked up at her. "Why?"

"Well … I think I understand how he's feeling right now. Maybe he'll let me in."

"Maybe we should just stop trying and drive home first thing tomorrow."

"You don't mean that," Tosh said, "or you wouldn't have scheduled another meeting with him."

Jack shrugged, seemingly unconcerned, but Tosh knew him better. It had been easy for Jack not to care when he hadn't known Jones, but seeing him had changed something. Tosh could relate all too well. She'd watched the meeting via the security cameras. She wasn't one to know how to read people, but even she had been able to see the cracks in Jones's mask of the stubborn prisoner.

Jack asked, "Why would he refuse to come with us?"

"He doesn't trust us," Tosh answered with a shrug, "and maybe he'll think he's weak when he gives in and lets us take him with us." She sipped her wine. Thoughtfully, Jack stared at his glass of water. Tosh frowned curiously. "What are you thinking about?"

"He's pretty strong and courageous … I could see that he was scared of me and he was trembling, but he stood up to me even after what he's been through, even tied to the table and unable to fight back."

"Torchwood Three material?" Tosh asked.

"Probably," Jack answered.


	5. Chapter 5

**4.**

Toshiko insisted on talking to Ianto in his cell where he wouldn't be chained up. Jack agreed, but, in turn, insisted on waiting right outside the door in case Ianto would try anything. Tosh agreed. She smiled at Jack and closed the door until it was only cracked open to give them at least a bit of privacy, then she turned around to Ianto who was sitting huddled in a corner. She took a deep breath to ward of the memories the cell awoke in her … the barren walls, the refusal to give the prisoners at least the comfort of a bed, the bucket in the corner.

She shook her head. This was her past, but Ianto's present. She had to get a grip to get him out of here. "Hello, Ianto," she said gently.

"I told Harkness that I want nothing to do with you," Ianto whispered.

He turned his face away towards the wall when Tosh stepped closer. "How did you know that I'm Torchwood?"

"No one visits me. Yesterday, it was him and now there's you, not wearing a UNIT uniform. Of course you're one of his people." His breathing was labored when he ended his explanation.

Worried, Tosh stepped closer. "Are you alright?" He didn't answer and she crouched down in front of him. "Ianto?"

He turned his head to glare at her and Tosh flinched when she saw the fresh, dark bruising spreading across the right side of his face. A deep cut marred his cheek and the way he cradled his chest with his arms reminded her of the time she'd broken two ribs while trying to catch a Weevil.

She asked, "What happened? Those weren't there yesterday."

"UNIT guards don't take kindly to being sent out of the room by Torchwood. They would never tell _you_ that, of course."

"So they beat you?"

"Officially …" He gasped and closed his eyes.

"It's alright," Tosh said and touched his knee, trying to soothe him. He glared at her and she pulled back her hand as if burned.

He leaned his head back against the wall and stared at the ceiling. "Officially, I tried to attack them. With my hands chained to the table." He laughed hysterically and Tosh now noticed the deep bruising around his wrists. "As if I'd be that stupid."

"I know those excuses," Tosh said, seeing an opportunity arise for her to break through to him. "I've been a prisoner here myself."

That got her his attention. His blue eyes – beautiful and clever eyes, she noticed, but dulled by pain and misery – focused on her. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's okay," Tosh answered. "I'm here for _you_. You have to reconsider Jack's offer. Being Torchwood's prisoner certainly beats being UNIT's."

"And you know that because ..."

"I _am_ Torchwood's prisoner. Officially." She smiled. "Jack saved my life. I'm free to go wherever I want to. I have a flat, I get paid ..."

"You can leave the base?" Ianto asked and there was something in his eyes that came back to life.

"Whenever I want to."

"You can leave the city?"

"If I want to," she answered.

"I would be able to do that, too?"

Tosh wasn't sure about that so she decided to deflect the question. "Jack's a really good man. He will learn to trust you, but you have to trust him, first."

Ianto's eyes slid away from hers. "I don't know if I can."

"Then trust me," Tosh said and smiled.

xxx

General Thompson smiled at Jack when she signed the transfer papers. "Well, I hope you have fun, Captain. He's not exactly like Ms. Sato."

Jack grinned. "To be honest, General, nobody can say that about themselves." Tosh felt her cheeks warm and Jack winked at her.

Thompson frowned disapprovingly. "Just keep in mind that we'll have him back here at the first sign of trouble." She raised one eyebrow. "Then you will never again take away one of our prisoners. I'd even go as far to say that ..." She looked at Tosh. "... your organization wouldn't be fit at all to handle prisoners and that would have dire consequences for Ms. Sato."

Jack signed the papers and slammed the pen on the desk. "Threats do nothing for me, Geraldine," he answered, turned around and left the office.

xxx

Owen stared darkly at the cogwheel door leading into Torchwood Three's underground base. "I still don't get it," he muttered. Jack and Tosh had called to tell Owen and Gwen that they would be there any minute now and while Gwen was sitting next to him on a flight of stairs, waiting impatiently, Owen was leaning back on his elbows and wondering how it could have come to this. He didn't trust their newest addition. He didn't want him here. But apparently, what he wanted didn't matter.

Gwen had prepared one of the cells per Jack's orders. Now, a camp bed, a bedside table, a small desk and a chair were waiting for Jones to use them, as well as a bucket with a lid underneath the bed. Gwen had made it obvious that she didn't like the implications of Jack's furnishing ideas.

Now, she turned her head to look at Owen. "What do you think – how long will Jack keep him down there?"

"Hopefully forever."

She frowned. "Don't be such an arse, Owen."

"It's not me who's being the arse here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Owen chuckled. "Did you look at the picture of the kid? Young, blue eyes, a pretty face … Jack likes pretty."

"So what?" Gwen asked and looked away from him, biting her lip. Owen knew that she knew that he was right. After all, Jack had decided to switch from _Mario's Pizza_ to _Jubilee Pizza_ because the delivery girl Annie was easier on the eyes than Mario's cousin Giorgio. And he hadn't been ashamed to admit that very fact.

The cog door rolled aside and Tosh entered first, wearing a tired smile. After her, Jack followed with a hand clamped around Ianto Jones's arm. He stopped just short of the entrance to give Jones a moment to take in the cavernous main Hub with the winding stairs leading to upper levels, the tall Rift manipulator puncturing the roof to emerge on Roald Dahl Plass disguised as a sculpture and the various computers and devices adorning the walls. Owen rolled his eyes. He remembered how Jack had introduced him to the Hub, he was quite house-proud. The Hub didn't fail to impress. Even though he tried to hide it, Owen caught a glimpse of wonder on Jones's boyish face.

As a doctor, he immediately noticed that Jones was too thin under the sweatpants and hoodie he wore, his ashen face proved that he he hadn't been outside for a very long time. And he'd been beaten.

Gwen got up and negotiated the stairs down to the arrivals. She offered a kind smile to Jones. "Hey there. I'm Gwen." She offered her hand. Jones didn't meet her eyes and he didn't offer a greeting. Owen saw that he was handcuffed and he could just imagine the glare Gwen sent in Jack's direction when she noticed the same.

He stumbled when Jack pulled him towards the cells and Jack kept him on his feet by yanking on his arm. "Owen," Jack barked.

"What?" Owen asked.

"Care to have a look at him?" Jack asked before vanishing in the base's depths.

Owen rolled his eyes. "If I have to," he muttered and followed Jack with his bag of equipment.

xxx

"UNIT did a number on him," Owen said an hour later in Jack's office. He watched Jack watching Jones in his cell via the cameras and gave him time to absorb the words, then he explained, "He's been beaten, two of his ribs are fractured but not too serious. They should heal up just fine. I expected malnourishment and dehydration – I was right. He's underweight and his immune system's shot to bits. There are burns from electrocution on his chest, healed up by now. I guess UNIT used other methods of torture but none of them left a scar on his body."

"How long until he's fit to work?" Jack asked.

Owen shrugged. "He could work now, but I'd give it a few days."

Jack nodded. "Alright."

Owen sighed deeply and crossed his arms over Jones's file. "How are we going to do this?" When Jack raised an eyebrow in question, Owen clarified, "Will he be here as some kind of slave? Will you keep him isolated, chained to the desk in the archives? Because however much you pretend not to care, Jack, I know that you wouldn't do that to anyone."

"You don't know me. You just think you do."

"Alright," Owen said. "So much for creepy statements, now be serious."

Jack crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "He's going to be part of the team, which means that he'll eat with us as soon as he's up working. Until then he'll be confined to the cell. He's going to sleep here, in the Hub, in that cell, for at least two months, then we'll see which privileges we can give him. He'll get paid, though. I'm not a slave trader."

"You want to handle this like some kind of conditioning? If he's nice, he'll get to stay up a bit longer?"

"Something like that. He has to realize that Torchwood is his only alternative and that, in the long run, we're the better choice. Then he'll work better and as soon as I'm sure that I can trust him, I could train him for field-missions."

Owen raised his eyebrows. "I thought you didn't want him here."

"Yes, but now I've got him and I have to see if he can be useful. If he is, why shouldn't I make use of that?"

"And you think he's cute. Admit it," Owen smirked.

"Even if he is, that doesn't influence my decisions."

"Right," Owen said and snorted. "Not in the least."

xxx

Ianto slept. He dreamed about Lisa and UNIT and Jack Harkness and his dreams weren't pleasant. In them, Lisa turned on him and tried to kill him, UNIT executed him and Harkness pushed him down onto his bed to …

Ianto startled awake and found Harkness staring at him through the plexiglass that formed one wall of the cell. He wasn't wearing the long, blue vintage military coat anymore, so that Ianto could see red braces stretched tight over the broad chest, contrasting with the light blue dress shirt. His blue eyes were like steel, staring at Ianto as if trying to read him – and succeeding. Instinctively, Ianto curled up tighter under the thick blanket. He appreciated having a bed again, no matter how simple and narrow it was. Harkness's face was unreadable, his arms crossed. "That sounded like one hell of a nightmare," he said.

Ianto sat up slowly and pushed his back against the cool wall behind him. "It was."

"Get those often?"

Ianto shrugged and averted his eyes.

Harkness said, "I want to know."

Ianto met his eyes defiantly. "It's none of your business."

"Feisty," Harkness said and Ianto thought he saw a grin curl the corners of his mouth. Then he said, "Everything concerning you is my business now, Jones."

He nodded slowly, remembering Toshiko's words and knowing that he had to give Harkness something to get something return. He cleared his throat. "I always had nightmares. Since I was a child. They stopped for a while there, but now it seems they're back again."

"I'll get Owen to give you some sleeping aids."

"I don't want your drugs," Ianto answered heatedly. "I won't take your pills."

"Why should I retcon you, now that you're here, ready to work for me?"

Ianto swallowed. "About that," he said and met Harkness's intense eyes, "I want to know when I can leave the base and get my own flat. And when will I be able to leave town for a few days?"

Harkness laughed, almost in disbelief. "That depends on how well you fit in. A few months at least."

"Months?" Ianto asked incredulously. He got up from the bed. "No. Toshiko said-"

"She was wrong, alright? She has no influence on what I decide around here."

"But she's allowed-"

"Her case is different. She didn't almost let the world be conquered by Cybermen."

Old rage bubbled up in him again. "I had nothing to do with the invasion!"

"Even if that's true, you still helped one of them escape. She could have rebuild their army."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ianto answered.

Harkness's lips thinned and he opened the door. "Alright, rule number one," he hissed and grabbed Ianto's arm, pointing a warning finger at him. "Don't insult me."

Out, he had to get out, or he would be stuck here forever. Ianto struck out and hit Harkness's face. Startled, Harkness's grip loosened and Ianto used that to his advantage. He managed to tear away and hit Harkness again. He fell and Ianto ran. He didn't take the time to close the cell door, he just ran back the way he had been led into this base.

When he reached the main Hub, he found that nobody was there. He hit the button to open the big cogwheel door, but nothing happened. "Oh, no," he muttered. "Come on."

He was grabbed and slammed against the wall, two hands bunched into the material of his hoodie holding him there. "Rule number two: don't attack me," Harkness growled.

Ianto balled his hands to fists. "Let go of me."

"Yeah, right, as if!" Harkness spat and yanked one of Ianto's hands behind his back, snapping a handcuff around the wrist.

"You're hurting me." Ianto felt a stinging pain pulse through his chest and guessed that his ribs didn't take too kindly to being held against a wall. Harkness cuffed the other hand, too, and then let go of him. Ianto turned around and tried to breathe through the pain. "You're ..." He gasped and sank to the floor. Harkness put his hands on his hips and stared at him coldly. Ianto breathed through the pain. "... monster."

"Really? Is that what you think of me? I could have beaten you just now, but I'm not the type."

Ianto gasped. "... don't care," he wheezed.

"You know, I was going to let you have a shower, but I think I will wait a few more days for that now," Harkness said. "Or maybe ..."

The world lurched sideways and Harkness's voice faded behind the noise of Ianto's heart thumping in his ears. His eyes lost focus, turning everything into a blurry mess of colors and patches. Someone touched him and he jerked back, hitting his head against the wall and then, thankfully, the world tilted out of sight.


	6. Chapter 6

**5.**

Ianto jerked awake to hands holding him down by his shoulders, pushing him back into something soft and warm. "Easy," someone said and Ianto opened his eyes slowly. He would have shoved the hands on his shoulders away, but he didn't have the energy. Harkness let go of him and helped him carefully to sit up a bit, guiding a water bottle with a straw to Ianto's lips. Ianto took a few sips, the water running down his parched throat felt heavenly, and then Harkness helped him lie down again. "I admit that holding you against a wall wasn't my brightest moment," he said.

"What happened?" Ianto asked, feeling too tired to care about fighting.

"You were in pain, couldn't get your breathing under control and hyperventilated."

Ianto noticed that his left wrist was constricted by something and lifted the blanket up with his right to see his hand cuffed to the metal frame of the campbed.

Harkness explained, "That should make it a bit more difficult to pull another stunt like that. The bed is bolted to the floor, by the way."

"Paranoid much?" Ianto asked.

To his surprise, a grin broke out on Harkness's face. He got up. "I'll leave the water here for you." He put it on the bedside table. Ianto looked from the bottle up to Harkness. He didn't thank him and Harkness didn't seem to expect him to. "I'll send someone down with your breakfast tomorrow." With that, he turned away and headed for the door.

"I still don't want to be here," Ianto said.

Harkness stopped. He looked at Ianto earnestly. "That's only fair, because I still don't trust you."

xxx

Gwen saw Ianto lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his cuffed wrist dangling over the edge of the bed. Jack had told them about what had happened the night before. The bruises on Jack's face and his split lip were proof of Ianto being everything but harmless. Owen had laughed, causing Gwen to think that he wouldn't let Jack forget this for at least a month.

Ianto turned his head and looked at her. She smiled and opened the cell door with her elbow, carrying the tray with his breakfast in her hand inside and setting it on the bedside table next to an empty bottle of water. "Hello," she said, "You remember me from yesterday, right? I'm Gwen." Ianto turned his head away to stare at the ceiling again, apparently unwilling to talk to her. She kept smiling, not wanting to give up on him, yet. "I brought you some breakfast."

"Just leave it there."

Gwen bit her lip, undecided. "It's … just some toast with jam. I don't know what you like, so I chose strawberry. Everyone loves strawberry." Ianto sighed, but he didn't answer, so Gwen rambled on, "Owen says you shouldn't eat too much at once or I would have brought more. He's worried because of the malnourishment. Eating too much too fast could make you sick to the stomach and we wouldn't-"

"Are you supposed to become my friend?"

Gwen frowned. "What?"

"Did Harkness send you down here to become my friend?"

"No. I just … I was just trying to-"

"Well, then leave me alone! I don't want friends here!" He turned his body away as best as he could with his wrist restricted.

Gwen took a few seconds to think about her next move. "Well, then you're gonna be pretty lonely down here," she said softly.

"Just the way I like it."

Gwen could hear his voice shaking slightly. "You don't mean that."

He turned to face her and there were tears in his eyes. "Can you get me out of here? Can you bring me top-side and promise me that nobody will follow me wherever I go? Can you trust me enough to believe me when I tell you that I'll come back?"

Gwen swallowed thickly. "I'm … I'm sorry."

"Thought so. Then you aren't my friend, Gwen. My friends are dead … all of them. Everything's pretty pointless." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head away again. "Now leave me alone."

Gwen nodded. "Sorry, Ianto." She repeated the words in Welsh, "Mae'n flin 'da fi."

Ianto tensed at the use of their mutual native language, but he didn't look at her. Gwen left the cell.

xxx

Gwen entered Jack's office with determination, and thus, without knocking. He sighed, but didn't raise his head from the paperwork. He was in trouble. Since Suzie was gone, Gwen was the only one on the team giving him hell when she thought he deserved it. Sure, Owen challenged him but he always backed down in the end. Gwen on the other hand … he doubted that she even knew what 'backing down' and 'chain of command' meant and that was surprising, considering she'd been a copper. Now, he could feel her staring at him and imagined her standing in front of his desk with her hands on her hips, her green eyes narrowed angrily and her dark hair messy from her running her hand through it in agitation. Her voice didn't leave room for argument. "I have to talk to you."

Jack slowly raised his head from the folder and looked at her, noticing with satisfaction that she had indeed taken on the posture he'd imagined. "Since you asked so nicely."

She stepped closer and perched on the edge of the desk. Her eyes found the CCTV footage from Jones's cell on Jack's screen and she frowned. "Could you give him at least a bit of privacy?" she asked.

"He's a prisoner. He's not naked. What's the problem?"

"This won't work, Jack."

Questioningly, he raised his eyebrows.

Gwen explained, "He doesn't want to be here."

"I don't care. He'll see eventually that this is the better alternative."

"And until then? He's twenty-four years old, he just lost his girlfriend, survived a gruesome battle and torture by UNIT and you think the best way to get him on our side is to imprison and antagonize him?"

"He is a prisoner."

"He doesn't want to be here."

"Prisoners usually don't want to be in prison."

Gwen stared at Jack. "How can you be so heartless?" Her question hit him hard, and apparently, she could see that. But instead of backing off, she pushed on. "Look at him." Jack did and saw Jones huddled on the bed, the empty tray beside him. "Can't you at least unbind his hand?"

Owen and Tosh were by now standing in the door to Jack's office, listening in. Jack was irritated by that. He didn't need witnesses to what he already suspected would be him giving in. "Don't you two have something else to do?" he asked.

Tosh said, "Actually, I agree with Gwen."

Owen snorted. "Don't go all motherly on him. He's not some innocent bystander who got picked up by UNIT."

"No, he isn't," Tosh agreed, "but he deserves a second chance, don't you think?" She looked at Jack. "And some kindness. That can go a long way to getting him on our side."

Jack leaned back in his chair.

Gwen looked at him beseechingly. "Have you tried – really tried – to get to know him, Jack?" He stared at her, not answering, and she lowered her voice. "That's unlike you." Jack couldn't hold her gaze anymore and his eyes slid to the CCTV footage once more. Jones was still sitting in the same position. There seemed to be a silent communication going on between his team members, because suddenly, Tosh dragged Owen away and closed the door. Gwen touched his hand. "What is it with you and the Cybermen, Jack, that you hate him so much?"

Jack sighed deeply and decided to open up to her. She'd been able to help him overcome his sometimes traumatic past before. She was a good friend, a good listener, and the first person in a long time he really felt connected to. "I lost someone in the battle. She meant the world to me and now she's … just gone. All that's left of her is her name on a list of casualties."

"I'm sorry."

"The thought that … he could have helped them come through, causing her to ..." Jack shook his head, unable to say that Rose might be dead. He just couldn't connect the words in his head.

"He says he didn't."

"He helped one of them."

"She was his girlfriend. Didn't you ever do anything stupid out of love? I know that I did plenty of stupid things."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "What would that be, Gwen Cooper?"

"Don't change the topic," she admonished him gently. She nodded towards the screen. "Look at him. Does he seem like a ruthless killer to you?" Jack watched Jones for a few seconds, before Gwen continued, "He lost someone in that battle, too. And there's no one out there looking for him. I checked the records. UNIT sent his family a letter pronouncing him dead. He's all alone. He needs us."

Jack couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy. He knew how it was to be all alone, because even though he had his team … he was out of his time, a relict from the future. He wouldn't officially be born for centuries. He looked down at his wrist strap, wishing it was still able to transport him through time, but it was broken and finding the only time lord left in this universe was his only hope of leaving this planet behind. He'd clung to that hope since the end of the 19th century: he'd find the Doctor and he would take him away, back to his own time. But he had to be patient and let the Doctor come to him. He would, Jack had to believe in that.

Gwen's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I'm not asking you to let him go, but show him that you intend to fulfill your promise. Give him a bit of freedom. Maybe he's going to see then that we're not the bad guys, because from where he's standing, we're like UNIT, just with a fancier cell and no torture."

Jack sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine." He looked at Gwen again. "But if he messes up, I won't be held accountable for what I'll do."

She nodded earnestly. "If he messes up, he's not trustworthy – agreed."


	7. Chapter 7

**6.**

"Hey," Gwen said a few hours later when she ran into Tosh on her way to the kitchen niche located in one corner of the main Hub.

Tosh smiled at her. "Ianto's lunch," she said with a glance at a tray with a bowl of soup and a bottle of apple juice on it.

"Good," Gwen answered and poured herself a coffee. She noticed a piece of paper next to the tray and unfolded it curiously. On it, Ianto and a pretty, dark-skinned woman were smiling into the camera. He was holding a pint and in the background, Gwen could make out what appeared to be a pub. "Wow," she said. "They look so happy."

"They do, don't they?" Tosh answered.

Owen snatched the thermos of coffee from Gwen's hand to pour himself some. "Who does what?" He glanced at the picture and wolf whistled. "She was shaggable," was his verdict.

Gwen frowned. "Owen," she scolded.

"What? It's true. He's such a geeky type. I wonder why she was attracted to him. That battle probably put her out of her misery."

"Well," Gwen said and folded the picture to hand it to Tosh who put it in her jeans pocket, "I certainly don't wonder why no woman is attracted to _you_. Seriously, Owen, what those two had? You don't deserve it and you will never have it." With that she left for her desk.

An uncomfortable silence hung over Tosh and Owen. Tosh looked at him. He stood frozen. She tried to comfort him. "She doesn't know about Katie," she said softly, "or she wouldn't have said that."

Owen seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts and cleared his throat. "Shut up, Tosh," he muttered. "It'll take a lot more to hurt me." He headed for the med bay.

Tosh looked after him sadly.

xxx

Time went by, but for the life of him, Ianto couldn't have said how much. He'd been used to the routine in the UNIT prison – wake-up call, the walks they called "exercise" in an empty room, lunch and lights-out. Here, he had to get used to a new routine. First of all, more food. Ianto watched Toshiko as she approached his bed with his second meal of the day. "This is lunch," she said with a small smile and set the tray down on the bedside table. She sat on the edge of the bed and added, "I've got something for you." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her jeans pocket and handed it over. Ianto took it hesitantly and unfolded it. His breath caught in his throat and he felt tears choke him when he saw Lisa's beautiful face and blinding smile for the first time in months. Beside her, an arm around her waist and a pint in his hand, was Ianto himself, smiling at the camera. They looked so happy and carefree … naïve. Guilt slammed into him and took his breath away for a moment. He should be dead instead of her. Toshiko said softly, "I hope you don't mind. I went through the back-up files we have from Torchwood One. Oddly enough, one of them had some photographs from after work meetings."

"Thomas sent them to everyone. He used to have them on his computer and volunteered to do an album every year ... Thomas is dead." Ianto's voice broke. He wanted to reach out with his free hand to trace Lisa's face but the handcuff aborted the movement with a soft clanging sound, reminding him of where he was and with who. The spell was broken. Ianto folded the photograph. "I'd like to be alone now." He buried his face in his pillow and refused to look at Toshiko, who was still sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Sure," she answered. A second later, Ianto felt her hand on his head, tangling fingers in his hair. He stiffened and the hand vanished. "Jack's an okay guy, I promise," Toshiko said softly, then she left.

Ianto waited until her steps had faded away, before he unfolded the picture again and put it on his bedside table. He looked at himself and Lisa, smiling and happy, until tears blurred his vision.

xxx

Owen had taken a gun with him when he went to see Jones. He felt uncomfortable alone in a cell with him. The last time he'd checked up on him, Jack had been with him, but he was out with Gwen to follow a lead on alien weapons sold on the black market. So he'd taken the gun and tucked it into his waistband under Tosh's disapproving glare. Jones barely looked at him while Owen explained to him that he needed to examine him on a regular basis from now on. Then Owen unlocked the handcuffs. While Owen took Jones's blood pressure, his eyes fell on the uneaten food on the tray. "What's the matter?" he asked. "Not hungry?"

Jones shook his head.

"Is our food not good enough for you now?" Owen asked and noted Jones's vital signs down in his file.

"I'm just not hungry."

Owen drew his eyebrows together. "You won't start starving yourself, right? That would be a bit annoying."

Jones leaned back against the wall and pulled his legs against his chest, putting his arms around them. "I'm done talking with you," he said.

"Yeah, well, I'm your doctor, so you will have to talk to me."

"As if any of you would be worried about my health."

Owen shrugged. "The girls are." Thinking about Tosh and Gwen only served to let Gwen's hurtful words from earlier echo through his mind and he snorted. "Treating you like some kind of lost puppy."

"They shouldn't."

"Well, they're the only friends you have left. You shouldn't antagonize them."

Jones turned his head away. Owen grabbed his chin to make him face him again and shone his penlight into his eyes. Jones winced. "All my friends are dead," he answered.

"Yeah, but you aren't and now, I have to care for you and I don't even like you." He got up and took the tray. "Since you don't want to eat it." He turned towards the door and only one second later realized that he'd forgotten to chain him to the bed – Jones pounced. Owen heard him get up and dropped the tray to grab his gun, but while he was still whirling around, Jones's body slammed already into his. Owen was taken by surprise, but he reacted quickly, using everything Jack had taught him about self-defense. He managed to bend his legs while he fell and pushed Jones off of him with his feet, then he pulled the gun and pointed it at his head. Jones kept coming. Owen considered shooting, for a split second, but then he just used the butt of the gun to hit Jones in the face and when Jones went down, he kicked his leg for good measure. Hard, because he was angry that the part of him that was a doctor didn't want to do any more damage to Jones's already busted ribs.

Jones pulled in a shuddering breath and cradled his head.

Owen saw blood trickle down his temple. "What did you do that for?" he yelled. The next minute was filled by their rapid breaths and Jones's soft sobs. Owen tucked the gun back into his waistband. "You're an idiot!" he added belatedly and crouched down. "Let me see that," he said and reached for Jones's head, but Jones slid away from him. "I could wait for Jack to come and force you to let me have a look."

Jones, still huddled on the floor, stared defiantly up at him. "You wouldn't."

"Fine," Owen snapped, "be that way." He got up, considered the fallen tray and the spilled soup for a moment, and then left it on the floor.

When he closed the cell door, Jones added, "Because you're a coward. You can't even shoot me."

Owen turned around to Jones, angry beyond belief. "We're trying to actually help you. But if you want to go back to UNIT, just spread your legs already and let Jack shag you. It's all he's after anyway." With that, he left.

xxx

Jack took a few deep breaths before he opened the door to the vaults and walked as determined as possible to Jones's cell. The others were long gone and Jack had spent the evening making doodles on post-it notes to avoid doing paperwork. He had all night to do it, after all, since he barely needed sleep. When he and Gwen had returned to the Hub, Owen had awaited Jack with a report about Jones attacking him. The only reason Jack hadn't gone into Jones's cell to show him just what he thought about him trying to kill his team was that Tosh had chipped in that she'd seen the CCTV footage and that Owen was just as much at fault as Jones since he'd provoked him. Owen had grudgingly admitted to that and Jack had let it slide and just went to chain Jones to the camp bed again before retreating to his office. It was nearly midnight before he remembered that he had a guest he should look after before officially turning off the lights everywhere but in his office.

He stopped in front of the cell to see that Jones was asleep. Jack opened the door and stepped inside, carefully avoiding spilled soup and a shattered bowl, trying not to wake Jones, and failing when he fiddled with lock of the handcuffs. Jones jerked awake and hissed in pain when the movement pulled on his restrained hand. Jack noticed a cut just beneath his hairline and some dried blood in his hair and on his face. His eyes were red as well.

Jack tried a smile. "Just unlocking the handcuffs," he said calmly and pocketed them. "See?"

Jones sat up and huddled against the wall, massaging his wrist. Jack straightened. That was when he noticed the picture.

Jones snatched it away before Jack could make a grab for it. "Toshiko gave me that," he said defensively and cradled it against his chest.

"I wasn't going to take it away," Jack said. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, before Jack said, "She was really beautiful."

"What was her name?" Jones answered.

Jack frowned. "What?"

"If you know her name, you're trying to be sensitive. If you don't, you're just pretending."

"Are you always that way?" Jack asked, exasperated.

"What way?"

"I'm trying to be nice."

"Don't bother," Jones answered.

"Fine," Jack huffed and took the tray, gathering up the biggest shards and the unopened bottle of juice. He left the cell and slammed the door, then, for good measure, he slammed the door to the vaults as well. And just because he felt like it, he slammed the tray on the counter in the kitchen niche and deposited the shards in the bin rather noisily. Then he remembered the promise he'd given Gwen. He stomped back down to the vaults and back to Jones's cell. "Lisa Hallett," he said. Jones didn't react. He kept staring at the picture he was holding. Jack opened the door. "And I didn't look that up. You're making this incredibly difficult."

"I just want to leave."

"You can't!" Jack answered.

Jones raised his head and Jack saw tears shimmering in his eyes. "Please," Jones said softly. "I'll come back. Just let me … let me go for one day."

Jack crossed his arms. "It's too soon," he said. "I don't trust you to come back and I really don't have the time or the resources to send one of my agents with you to babysit."

Jones ducked his head. He looked quite miserable sitting curled up against the wall, the picture clutched in his hand and blood in his face. Jack sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out a hand. "Can I see?" he asked. Jones made no move to hand him the picture, but since he wasn't saying no either, Jack took the paper carefully and looked at the picture. "Where do you want to go? Can't it wait?"

"It can't. It could already be too late."

Jack shook his head and handed the picture back. "I'm sorry." He sighed deeply. "But, you know, we could get this picture printed out properly. On real photo paper or whatever. If you want to."

"It's a poor substitute."

"I know the feeling."

Jones looked at him carefully.

Jack risked a smile. "I lost people, too. Their pictures are all that remains."

Jones didn't answer but he kept looking at him attentively, as if he was unsure as to what to think about Jack. Jack stared right back … and when had Jones's eyes gotten so incredibly blue?

He tore his gaze away and cleared his throat. "Let me see your head."

Jones's fingers around the picture tensed. "No need."

"You were bleeding. I have to have a look at it. It could get infected."

"Who cares?"

"Me, obviously."

Jones didn't react, so Jack just grabbed his chin and tilted his head into the meager light of the vaults. "It won't need stitches, but I'll definitely have to clean that. And put a plaster on it." He looked into Jones's eyes, so close to his now. "I would also like you to have a shower." Jones's eyes flitted away. Jack's free hand brushed along his holster, wherein his Webley was tucked away. "Will we be having a problem with that?" He knew that Jones could see the warning gesture.

He seemed to think about it. Then he shook his head. "No. No problem."

Jack smiled and let him go. "Great."

xxx

The shower room was shared by male and female personnel and divided off into five cubicles and an area with a bench and lockers. Jack directed Jones to the first cubicle and handed him one of the towels someone – maybe Owen – had carelessly thrown over the bench. It was still damp, but Jack didn't think that Jones would mind. Jones entered the cubicle and turned around to Jack, seemingly undecided. Then he reached for the curtain.

"Ah!" Jack said, shaking his head. "I want to see you." He crossed his arms. "What did you expect after that stunt a bit earlier?"

Jones swallowed. "So, what? You want me to get naked in front of you?"

Jack raised one eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"

Jones bit his lip. Jack would have liked to know what kind of answer he was suppressing. He had a feeling that there was quite a quick, sarcastic wit hidden beneath the stubbornness. He hooked his thumbs around his braces and grinned, enjoying watching Jones squirm a bit. "C'mon, now. I want to see the goods."

And he seemed to have missed a trigger in these words, because Jones just left the cubicle and handed him the towel back. "I'd rather go back to my cell." He didn't meet Jack's eyes.

Jack's smile died. "You don't want to take a shower?"

"Not under these circumstances." Jones looked at him for a second, before his eyes met a point just over Jack's left shoulder. "I want to go back to my cell."

Jack sighed. "Jones … it was a joke. Of course you can pull the curtain shut."

Jones glanced at him again, then he ducked his head. His shoulders slumped. "I didn't realize you would crack jokes at me."

"What do you take me for?" Jack asked. "Some pervert?"

"I just would like to have a bed available for this."

"For what? Taking a shower?"

"I'm not stupid. There was gossip at Torchwood One. I know about you."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "God … you really think I am a monster. That I'd ..." He shook his head in disgust and held out the towel. "Just … take your shower." He walked backwards and sat on the bench. Jones seemed undecided for a moment, then he pulled the curtain shut. Jack put his head in his hands. The shower started and Jack allowed himself a deep sigh, impossible to hear over the running water. He really hoped that something would come out of this, because he had rarely felt this insecure in his life and he hated that feeling. Part of him wanted to try and make friends with Jones – even if it was just so that Gwen would give him some peace – but another part of him couldn't let go of Jones being a prisoner and the reason for that. Jones shut off the water and five minutes went by, then he opened the curtain, dressed in his hoodie and the tracksuit bottoms once again. His hair was damp and Jack caught the faint scent of Owen's shower gel lingering in the air. Jack got up and took Jones's arm in a light grip. "Alright. Let's go."

"Where?" Jones asked.

Jack didn't answer while he led him through the corridors into an area of the Hub that was only dimly lit and a bit damp. The smell of moss hung in the air. Jack pushed open a door at the end of the corridor and switched on the light. The lamps flickered idly, as if awakening from a deep sleep, until they illuminated a huge room packed with shelves and filing cabinets. A few rats scurried away. Jack put a hand on Jones's back and gently pushed him through the door. "The archives," he said. "Your working place."

"I don't work for you," Jones answered.

"Yes, you do," Jack said.

Jones gave him an irritated glance, then he focused his attention on the room. He stepped to the abandoned desk near the door and brushed a hand over the dusty surface, then he passed a finger down the screen of the computer. It came back dirty. "This is a mess," he said.

Jack crossed his arms and nodded, keeping a close eye on Jones's every move. "Yes."

Jones moved to one of the shelves near them, slightly hesitant as if he was torn between the natural curiosity of an archivist and the defiant prisoner. "How long since somebody took proper care of this room?"

"About forty years."

Jones whirled around to him. "Are you serious? That's … a lot of work."

"That's why none of us can do it."

"So you got yourself a slave?" Jones asked and then bit his lip. "I'm ..." He ducked his head and turned away. He seemed embarrassed all of a sudden, but Jack couldn't quite tell if it was because he'd almost apologized or because he didn't actually do it.

"It's okay," Jack answered. He was aware now that he needed to put some work into Jones. Of course he would be mistrustful and defensive after what he'd been through. It would take some time for him to trust someone again. Tosh had been the same when she'd come to Torchwood, but she'd showed it in a different way. She'd been withdrawn and scared. Jones was those things, too, but while Tosh had chosen to hold back, Jones chose to hurt so that the hurts inflicted wouldn't be so bad.

Jones was looking at the boxes in the shelves now. He was clearly nervous and standing with slightly hunched shoulders as if expecting a blow. Nevertheless, they'd made a bit of progress, Jack reminded himself. They had talked, even only for a bit. Maybe he was able to do this. He asked, "How long have you been together with Lisa?"

Jones glanced at him, then shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"It would help to talk to someone," Jack answered. Jones didn't react to that. Jack nodded. "Okay. No pressure." He smiled. "So … had a good look?"

"It's dreadful."

Jack caught a small smile lurking at the corner of Jones's mouth. He chuckled. "Think about it. You'd get some freedom, payment, all the works."

"I don't want to work for you." Jones crossed his arms and turned away, again looking at the shelf. Realizing he was getting nowhere, Jack sighed deeply and tilted his head towards the door. "Back to the cell. It's late."

They didn't talk on their way back. When they arrived, Jones sat on his bed. Jack leaned in to look at his head wound.

Jones pulled away. "Don't."

"I need to have a look."

"Don't pretend that you care."

"But I do care," Jack answered.

Jones looked at him, then he laughed in disbelief. "You didn't even want me here."

"Show me how well you can work and I might change my mind."

"I don't want to work for you."

"Why did you agree to come here, then?"

"Because I thought you would give me some freedom."

Jack stared at Jones and sighed, before he leaned closer. "We're turning in circles, so I'm going to ask a new question: what for?"

Jones shook his head. "I can't trust you."

Jack's hand went to his holster and found Jones's there, wrapped around the grip of the gun. Jack raised one eyebrow, not surprised. "Your hand has been there for the last three minutes. Why didn't you try and attack me?" There was something in Jones's eyes, something he hid hurriedly when Jack tried to look closer. Jack gripped Jones's wrist and pried his hand away from his Webley. "And that is the reason _I_ can't trust _you_. That's the reason you won't leave this base, at least for a while." He straightened and left the cell.

When he arrived in his office, he dropped into his chair and looked at the image of the CCTV camera in Jones's cell. Jones was sitting on the bed, pretty much as Jack had left him, staring into space. "What are you up to?" Jack asked.


	8. Chapter 8

**7.**

Ianto woke up tired. He didn't know how long he'd been asleep but it couldn't have been long. Or maybe the nightmares had something to do with that. Fire and screams and blood, the battle and Lisa being shot … and Debbie. Poor Debbie …

He sighed deeply and got up, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep again, and walked to the door. Carefully, he pushed against it. It opened. Jack hadn't locked it. Ianto wondered if that had been oversight or intention, but he was aware that, no matter the reason, there were CCTV cameras everywhere. Jack was likely to be watching him. Ianto closed his eyes, steeling himself for what he was about to do. UNIT had stripped him of control over his own life and if there was one thing Ianto couldn't live without, it was his freedom. UNIT had taken it from him – taken his _life_, literally, by damaging his body and soul and then refusing him the easy way out. Ianto had never thought he'd be the type to commit suicide, but in those four months in his cell, in his darkest hours, he'd ever so slowly befriended the idea of just letting it end, of joining Lisa. But UNIT was so very careful in avoiding that – keeping the prisoners alive was preferable to them escaping imprisonment through death. They were persons stripped of all their rights after all – if the rumors Ianto had heard during his time at Torchwood One was true, UNIT sometimes used their prisoners for experiments.

Then Torchwood Three had come and taken him away to what they thought was better. But this change of location, this new, more comfortable cell and money in his bank account couldn't fool Ianto into thinking he was in control of his own life; he was still a prisoner and no matter what happened, he always would be. His attack against Owen, grabbing Jack's weapon – they had no idea, but those things had been nothing more than a tightrope walk. They could have killed him – he wouldn't have cared if they had –, but they didn't. Just like UNIT, they preferred him to stay alive and that meant that he didn't win back control – ultimately, Torchwood would call the shots. But Ianto wouldn't let them. He'd made a promise to Lisa and he'd made a decision yesterday: he would fulfill his promise or die trying.

He made his way up to the main Hub. The lights were down low, a clock on one of the desks showed Ianto that it was still night. The work places were abandoned, the med bay just a dimly lit cavern. Light was filtering through the blinds in what had to be Jack's office and Ianto knocked on the door politely before entering.

Jack was sitting behind a cluttered desk. The office was big and had a second entrance at the very back. Jack only seemed to use the part close to the door. The remaining part of the room was almost empty, just some computers bolted to the wall taking up the space. Jack looked up from a pile of files and gave him a small smile. "Awake already?"

Ianto shrugged. "Yeah." He swallowed, reminded himself of his plan and said, "I would like to reconsider your offer."

Jack closed the file he was currently reading. "Really?" He smiled smugly and nodded at a chair in the corner. "Pull up a chair. Sit down." Ianto obeyed hesitantly and folded his hands in his lap. "Alright," Jack said, "I want you to organize the archives. You can do that any way you like it. Whatever you decide is fine. Just let me know. I want you at work eight hours a day, you get a break of one hour, just like everybody else, and you can take it whenever you feel you need it. However, we have the habit of sharing lunch, so think about joining us. I think it can only help you to fit in. Any questions?"

Ianto shook his head. "I know what to do. It's my job."

Jack nodded, a guarded look in his eyes. "Good." Ianto got up and turned to leave. He was at the door, when Jack said, "Jones." He stopped. Jack let the silence hang for a moment, before he continued, "Don't even think about doing anything stupid, understood?"

Ianto didn't answer. He just looked back at Jack and then left.

xxx

Ianto found the file in one of the cabinets after looking for hours for anything that could help him. He noted down the aisle, made sure that it was located in a blind spot of the cameras, then he pulled the box down from the shelf and blew away the dust that had gathered on it. He set it on the floor and broke the seal on it by yanking the cover open. He smiled at the five small silver cylinders nestled in straw. "Apparently, foam hadn't been invented yet when they found you," he said softly and carefully removed one of the devices. "Let's see if I can't get out of here, Captain."

xxx

Owen's eyes widened and then settled into a glare. "You left him alone in the archives?"

Jack leaned on the rail separating the well of the med bay from the observation level and the main Hub. He looked far too smug for Owen's taste while he answered, "I watch him via CCTV."

Owen snorted and proceeded to angrily wipe down his autopsy table. He'd been experimenting on some dead rats with cryogenic fluid. He'd hoped to find a way to preserve dead bodies without using the ancient cryo chambers that lined the walls of the morgue. Frankly, they didn't really need another method, but he didn't have any other projects at the moment and he'd been bored. Jack's announcement that Jones was merrily going through their archives without someone watching him had just ruined his day. "Well, you're not watching him right now."

"We can't keep an eye on him all the time. Nothing dangerous is down there. The weapons are all safely stored in our armory and every technology that's classified as dangerous is in another room he doesn't have access to."

"Jack," Owen answered and leaned on the table with both hands, "he's smart. He's an archivist. He knows a lot of things. He knows what technology could be used as a weapon, be it harmless or not."

"He wouldn't dare. I'd cart him right off back to UNIT."

"You wouldn't, because that would mean the end of Tosh's probation, too." Owen and Gwen knew how Tosh had come to work for Torchwood. As far as Owen was concerned, there was no problem with that. But Jones's case was different. He didn't trust him. Most of all, he didn't trust him alone in the archives.

"Well," Jack said with a grin, "he doesn't know that."

xxx

Ianto entered the main Hub slowly, feeling the device in the pocket of his tracksuit bottoms getting heavier with every step. The room was brightly lit and busy by now. Gwen, Tosh and Owen were sitting at their desks, working through files or – in Owen's case – playing _Solitaire_. Jack was standing near the water tower in the center, his hands in his pockets pulling his braces tight across his broad chest. He seemed to watch his team. When Ianto cleared his throat to get all their attention, Gwen and Tosh turned to him from their work stations. Gwen smiled. "Hello. Good to see you up and about."

Ianto faked a smile. "Yes. Keeping busy is kind of a … relaxation technique for me."

Tosh nodded. "I understand what you mean."

"How about I make you all some coffee?" Ianto asked.

"Poisoned?" Owen asked and turned his chair around to face Ianto. His dark eyes were mistrustful and angry.

Jack's searching eyes caught Ianto's and then roamed over his body. Ianto didn't know if he was looking for anything suspicious or just plain enjoying the view, so he put his hands in his pockets to hide the bulge of the device. "No, of course not," he answered Owen's question.

Jack crossed his arms and grinned. "Well, in that case ..." He nodded towards the kitchen niche tucked away in the back, just beneath a spiral staircase leading up towards grating walkways on the first level. Then he strolled over to him, his eyes now unmistakably searching for anything amiss. Ianto nodded, gave him a nervous smile and passed him by. He took one step, two, three, four, he stopped, pulled the device from his pocket and turned around to the team. Jack frowned. "Jones?"

He threw the cylinder and turned away, closing his eyes and covering his ears. Nevertheless, he could hear a shrill tone and his eyelids couldn't hide the bright light of the explosion. Ianto slowly counted to three, then he turned back around. Four steps way from him, the team was still in very much the same position they'd been in before, looking up as if searching for the Zeylon grenade. It had been vaporized by now, creating a time distortion field around them. Ianto ran towards the entrance and hit the button to open the door, breathing a sigh of relief when it opened. He looked back towards the team, then he was on the run.


	9. Chapter 9

**8.**

Jones became a blur of activity that rushed towards the entrance and was gone within an instant. Jack turned to his team to see Owen roll his eyes. "Well, I wish we would have seen that coming," he said. Then he raised his eyebrows in fake surprise. "Oh, gee! I did!" Jack knew that Owen had a point there, but he didn't want to admit it, so he just didn't answer.

Gwen asked, "What's happening?"

Jack said, "We're in a time distortion field. To us, it feels as if we're moving at normal speed, but really we are slower."

"How much slower?"

"A lot." Jack pulled his mobile from his pocket.

Tosh said, "That won't work in here."

"You're right," he sighed. "We're not synchronized with the world out there."

Gwen looked like somebody just told her that she would die in a few seconds. "What, like, forever?"

"No. Jones used a Zeylon grenade on us. I wish I'd remembered those were in the archives. We found them way back." He didn't tell them that by 'way back' he meant the 40s. Something very similar had happened back then, but by accident. Jack knew through previous experience that they weren't in danger, so he remained calm. What really irked him, though, was the fact that Jones had managed to escape.

Owen asked, "Aren't they labeled as dangerous?"

"No, for Zeylons, they're more of a joke. And they don't hurt us, so … wait a few minutes and everything will be normal again." He turned away and clenched his fingers around the mobile phone. "I should never have trusted him."

Gwen sighed. "Come on, he didn't hurt us. He never intended to, obviously, or he would have found a way."

"And now he's on the run," Jack said. "We have to find him as soon as we get out of here."

Tosh asked, "Where's he going?"

"No idea. I can't believe I bought his whole _'I'll work for you'_ act. I bet he was planning on escaping from the start."

Gwen snorted. "Don't be so negative."

Jack whirled around to her, finally having enough of her supporting Jones. "Well, would you stop being so damn positive? He's not who he appears to be and now we have to find him before he risks Tosh's probation." He gasped when a wave of nausea washed over him while his body adjusted to the synchronization with the world and steadied himself against Tosh's desk. Gwen and Tosh had become very pale themselves and Owen was sitting with his eyes closed while he waited for the nausea to subside. Immediately, Jack dialed Leo's number. Before he could finish, though, the mobile rang and Leo's name lit up on the display. "Perfect!" Jack hissed. He looked at Tosh. "They know already."

"But how?" Tosh asked.

Jack answered the phone, going for casual. "Leo, what's up?"

"_Your prisoner is making his way across Cardiff as we speak, Jack. Thompson has sent out some men. They'll be with him in twenty minutes. What's going on?"_

"How do you know about that?"

"_They implanted a chip into Ianto."_

Jack cursed and looked at Tosh. "A chip. They're tracing him." Tosh nodded and turned to her computer.

"_He's at Sevenoaks Park right now, standing still. I'll send you the details and everything you need to trace him yourself. Jack … you need to find him before UNIT does."_

"I'm well aware of that. Thanks, Leo." He hung up and rushed towards the entrance door. "Tosh, Leo's sending an e-mail. Trace Jones's signal. Gwen, Owen, you're with me."

Gwen asked, "What are we doing?"

"We're getting to him before UNIT does." He heard Gwen and Owen's steps echo through the corridors behind him and ran faster, already grabbing the keys to the SUV from his trouser pockets, glad that, for once, he hadn't left them in his coat which was still hanging in his office.

"Why?"

"To gain control of the situation!" he answered, taking the corridor down to the garage.

"How can they get to him before us? The prison's over an hour away from here." Gwen was panting slightly and Jack wondered why she had to have an answer to all those questions right now.

"Yes, but UNIT has its men everywhere," Jack answered, slamming open the door to the garage. "I'm going to kill him," he said, when they were in the SUV and on their way out of the garage.

"No protest from me," Owen said.

Gwen didn't say anything.

xxx

Ianto tapped his foot while he waited, the receiver of the public phone pressed to his ear. He'd managed to convince an elderly couple to give him a bit of money for "an emergency call". Now, he was looking around him impatiently, scared that they would find him and at the same time wondering where they were. He knew that UNIT had implanted a chip in his body – he just didn't know where, since he'd received so many beatings and cuts that he couldn't tell which could be from the chip – and they should know by now that he had escaped. But the paths of Sevenoaks Park remained devoid of life. Not even joggers or dog walkers were out in the rain that had started a few minutes ago and beat relentlessly on the roof of the phone box. Ianto hadn't expected to come this far, now he was determined to take the next step in fulfilling the promise.

Finally, a female voice floated down the line. _"St. Sophia's, this is Nurse Duncan."_

"Hello," Ianto answered, "my name's Ianto Jones, I'm calling for Debbie Turner."

"_Wait a minute, please."_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't be too late. Please, please … his escape couldn't have been for nothing. He couldn't come so close and then fail. She had to be alive, she had to be ...

"_I'm putting you through, Mr. Jones."_

"Thank you." He breathed a sigh of relief … and saw an SUV coming to a halt just outside the perimeter of the park. His time was up. The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer.

Then, his world shattered when Nurse Duncan was talking to him again, _"I'm sorry, it seems Ms. Turner is being evaluated by one of our doctors at the moment. Can I take a message ..."_

He hung up the phone and wrestled the door of the phone box open. Jack, Owen and Gwen left the car. It was Torchwood, not UNIT. Ianto shook his head. This couldn't happen. UNIT was supposed to come after him. UNIT was supposed to kill him on sight. He started to run.

"Ianto!" Gwen yelled. "Stop!"

He did stop, but only because there was another dark car racing through the park towards him, paying no attention whatsoever to the fact that this was an area where cars weren't allowed. And it wasn't Torchwood.

UNIT.

Ianto took a few steps back when soldiers left the car and raised their weapons threateningly. He shoved a hand into the pocket of his hoodie as if reaching for a weapon and waited for the bullets. But they never came. Instead, a lot of yelling ensued and someone grabbed his arm and he stumbled, slipped in a puddle and fell into the muddy grass. He kicked out and impacted something that made his assailant grunt and let go of him, but before he could get to his feet, he felt a stinging pain in his thigh. He crawled back and away from Owen who showed him a syringe with a triumphant smile. Already, the world was losing focus. He saw a blur looking vaguely like Jack stalking past him and then he was hoisted to his feet and pushed towards the SUV.

"No," he muttered. "What are you doing?"

Gwen's voice answered softly, "Helping you."

"I don't want your help." He kicked at her, but she managed to avoid his foot. "I just want to be free."

"Hold it right there!" someone shouted and the last Ianto knew was that he was shoved into a car.

xxx

"Back off!" Jack yelled, striding towards the UNIT soldiers and their officer with big steps. "This is a Torchwood matter!"

"It was until you lost your prisoner," the officer said. He was a young, handsome man with short, dark hair peeking out underneath his red beret and a broad chest encased by the green uniform. Jack was close enough now to be able to read his name plate – _Captain Hannington_.

Jack shook his head. "We didn't lose him," he said. "We just lost sight of him for a short amount of time, but he's back in our care now."

Hannington snorted. "You're unable to keep him locked up?"

"None of your business," Jack answered. "I didn't even know you had implanted him with a chip. You should have told me."

"It's standard procedure."

"Since when? 'Cause I know for sure that Toshiko Sato didn't have one when she came to me."

Hannington narrowed his eyes. "I don't know her case, so don't ask me. I was just told to keep an eye on Jones."

"Not necessary. We've got him."

"Yeah, I don't put too much trust in you. First you let him escape, then you run around in our line of fire when we try to shoot him."

Jack's eyes narrowed angrily. "Because there was no reason to shoot him."

"He was reaching for a weapon," Hannington hissed.

For a moment, both men just stared at each other. Jack felt rain seep through his shirt and wished for his thick coat, but he refused to back down on this. He heard the car door slam and just a few seconds later, Owen was by his side. He didn't look at him while he asked, "Did you search him?"

"Yeah, he's clean," Owen answered.

Jack tilted his head to the side, allowing himself a smug smile. "You would've almost shot a man who had nothing to defend himself with."

Hannington frowned and his gray eyes glowered angrily. "He was reaching for a weapon."

Owen changed the topic. "How come I didn't find your chip when I scanned him?"

Hannington shrugged, refusing to look away from Jack. "It's not my place to share knowledge about UNIT technology with you."

Jack looked at Owen and grinned. "That means that he has no idea, huh?" he asked.

Owen nodded. "None at all."

Jack turned back to Hannington. "Well, we've got this under control now. Thanks, though, for almost shooting my prisoner without valid reason. I'm sure the Queen will love this story." He turned away and headed back towards the SUV with Owen, hearing Hannington curse and order his men to get back into the car. Jack glanced at Owen. "Remove the chip as soon as we get back to base."

"I can't," Owen muttered. "I scanned him again, still no chip. I can't just cut into him and see if I find it."

"Leo won't tell me where it is. He already was crossing the line by telling me there is a chip."

They got into the car. Gwen was crouching on the floor between the backseat and the front seats, stroking Jones's wet hair from his forehead. He was lying stretched out on the backseat, deeply asleep. Her jacket was covering his chest. Jack chose not to comment on her acts of kindness, but he saw Owen purse his lips disapprovingly. Thankfully though, he didn't say anything.

xxx

Ianto came to when they parked the SUV in the garage. Still disoriented, he was hauled out of the car by Jack and dragged into the base, Gwen and Owen behind them. Ianto stumbled, but Jack just yanked him up and dragged him further into the base towards, Ianto assumed, the cells.

Gwen's voice threw an angry echo around when she asked, "Jack, what are you doing?"

He ignored her, instead tightening his grip around Ianto's arm. Ianto grimaced, but refused to let out a pained sound. "How did you find me?" he asked instead. He knew that should be his least important problem, but the sedatives still made him slightly confused.

Jack answered coldly, "UNIT tagged you and rightly so, seeing as you just earned yourself some serious time in prison."

Ianto shook his head and strained against Jack's hold. "Don't."

Jack pulled him along. "What the hell did you expect to happen now?"

"They should've shot me!" Ianto answered. He heard Gwen take a shocked breath, but Jack stopped her from saying anything with an angry glare. Ianto tried to loosen Jack's grip around his arm.

Jack turned back to him. "Well, tough, because you're going to go back into that cell. No privileges … ever again!"

"No!" Ianto answered and pushed against him. His hands slipped on the wet shirt and he barely managed to hold on to Jack's braces to steady himself. His world tipped to the side and he thought that he had to throw up, but the feeling subsided as quickly as it had come.

Jack pulled him closer, talking softly, but with steely eyes. "I do as I damn well please, because you betrayed the small amount of trust I did give you." He dragged Ianto into the vaults and pushed him into his cell, entering after him.

Ianto turned around to face him. Seeing Jack getting out the handcuffs made his blood run cold. Ianto backed off until his back hit a wall. He shook his head. "Don't do this."

"What should I do instead?" Jack yelled.

He grabbed Ianto's arm but Ianto pushed him away. "Don't."

Jack shrugged and held up the handcuffs. "Blame yourself." He moved towards him again, pushing Ianto against the wall. The handcuffs snapped shut around one wrist and Jack dragged him towards the bed.

Panic set in. Ianto leaned against Jack's weight. "You have no right!"

Jack whirled around to him. "I have every right! Because you gave up all your rights when you helped your monster girlfriend." The right hook didn't surprise Jack, but he looked dazed for a second. His grip didn't loosen, though. He just raised his free hand to his chin and massaged it. Ianto stared at him, wondering what would happen next … he stumbled back when Jack's fist hit him square in the face. He heard someone – Gwen – yell Jack's name, but he couldn't look at her, because Jack tackled him against the wall and wrapped his arms around his waist. "You'll never see the light of day again," he muttered. "I'll take care of that."

"Let me go!" Ianto kicked and hit and connected with something vital, because Jack cursed and his grip loosened.

Nevertheless, he managed to push Ianto against the wall again. "Owen! A little help?"

Ianto strained against Jack's hold when his ribs began to burn under the pressure. His hand reached back and he got to Jack's gun, raising it, but Owen grabbed his hand and slammed it against the wall until the weapon fell uselessly from his grip. Ianto felt tears gather in his eyes and he screamed and fought against Owen, hearing Gwen trying to calm the situation without success. He yelled something; he didn't even know what until Jack pinned him to the bed with his body and looped the chain of the handcuffs around the metal frame before binding his other hand to it, whispering, "If I'm the monster, then what does that make you?"

Gwen yelled, "Jack, stop it right now!"

But Jack didn't stop. He grabbed Ianto's chin and forced him to look at him. "As far as I'm concerned, you can rot down here. Who would miss you?" With that he left, Gwen hot on his heels and Owen hanging back to pick up the gun and lock the cell. Ianto tugged at the handcuffs repeatedly and with increasing desperation, even getting up and trying to tear the bed away from where it was bolted to the floor, until his wrists felt raw and bruised and his muscles protested.

"Stop it!" Owen yelled. Ianto hadn't even realized that he was still there and fell to the floor, startled, exhausted and miserable. "You're going to hurt yourself," Owen said. "And then I'd have to stitch you up and I'm not in the mood."

"Why can't you just kill me? Get it over with?"

Owen frowned. "Would you really want that?"

"It's better than living like this," Ianto answered. "And I'm living on borrowed time anyway. I should have died in Torchwood One. If it wasn't for ..." He shook his head. He'd never wanted to tell anyone about this, but it didn't matter anymore. "If it wasn't for the Doctor, I wouldn't even be here." He curled up on the bed and wept.

xxx

Gwen was hard on Jack's heels when he entered the main Hub. Tosh turned around to them and refrained from asking what was wrong when she saw his face. She'd rarely seen him that angry, and fortunately, it had never been directed at her. The last thing one should do when Jack looked like that was to talk to him.

Gwen had never been one to follow such rules. "Don't ignore me, Jack!" she said.

He whirled around to her. "You don't have a say in this!"

"He's traumatized! You just hit a traumatized prisoner!"

"He hit me first!"

"You sound like a child!"

"You told me that your opinion would change if he tried anything! And yet, you are still defending him!"

Gwen crossed her arms. "He was scared to death, Jack. Can't you see?"

"What I can't see is why you're still defending him!"

"He's got no one, Jack! Someone has to speak for him. None of you will do it." She sent a glare in Tosh's direction and Jack looked at her, too.

His eyes narrowed. "Something you want to say, Tosh?"

She blushed and hurriedly ducked her head. "He's suffering."

Jack crossed his arms and turned to Gwen. "I've had enough of you undermining my authority around here."

Gwen looked stumped. "I didn't! Just because I have a different opinion on something doesn't mean-"

"I didn't ask you for your opinion down there!"

Gwen bit her lip, then she said calmly, "You're breaking him."

Jack crossed his arms, his face a stony mask.

Owen quietly cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him. "Jack, a word?"

"What now?" Jack snapped. "You want to knife me in the back, too? Condemn my actions today from a medical point of view?" He spread his arms. "Be my guest!"

"No, I won't," Owen answered. "I want to talk about Ianto with you. It's important."

Jack took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down. He had a hell of a temper, they all knew that, and big difficulties controlling it at times. "Alright," he said finally. "My office."

Tosh was glad that Gwen didn't say anything else, just let them go. As soon as Jack's office door slammed shut, Tosh asked, "What happened down there?"

"Look at the CCTV footage," Gwen answered glumly. "I've got to get back down there." With that, she turned away and left.

xxx

Owen swallowed nervously when Jack just stared at him. Finally, Jack asked, "You overlooked it?"

"I may have missed it during my check-ups on him," Owen corrected him.

"You weren't looking for it," Jack deduced.

Owen put his hands on his hips and sighed deeply. "No."

"So … he's suicidal."

"Very," Owen answered. "He attacked me to cause me to shoot him. He attacked you for the same reason, I guess. When he realized that we wouldn't do it ..."

"He wanted UNIT to do it."

"And downstairs, in the cell, he grabbed your weapon. I thought he was going to shoot you, but now, I realize that he was trying to point it at himself."

Jack leaned back in his chair as Owen placed Jack's Webley on his desk.

Jack said, "If he really wanted to kill himself, he would have managed it by now."

"We're not talking about the kind of suicide that you commit because you can't deal with your life, Jack. He was dead-set on escaping the base for one day, wasn't he? He kept asking you."

Jack nodded.

"Well, he wants to do something. Whatever it is, he's aware of the risk of being killed to reach his goal, but it doesn't matter since he's living on borrowed time anyway. It's not really suicide, Jack, it's more of a 'taking every risk that's necessary' mindset. Coupled with the emotional lability, social withdrawal and depression, he's a textbook case of survivor's syndrome."

"And you overlooked it?"

"I'm not a therapist, Jack. I was tending to his physical wounds. But if you want to know if I might have ignored the psychological effect the battle and the UNIT imprisonment might have had on him, then yes, I overlooked it."

"So, everything he did – the resistance, the stubbornness, the attacks ..."

"Expressions of his subconscious telling him that he should be dead and him thinking he doesn't deserve to be alive and happy when so many of his colleagues and friends aren't."

Jack stared at the CCTV of Jones's cell and brushed a hand through his hair when he saw Gwen crouching down next to Jones's cowering form on the bed.

xxx

"I'm sorry," Gwen said softly and she raised the hand holding the ice pack wrapped in a towel to press it against Ianto's eye. "Jack shouldn't have done that."

The ice cooled Ianto's overheated skin and dulled the stinging pain to a throb. He rubbed his aching knuckles. "He should've shot me."

Gwen shook her head. "Stop talking like that."

"No, really, he should have. It's in the rules." He chuckled bitterly. "If a prisoner attacks you, you have the right to shoot him. You never know what they could do."

"I'm sure that doesn't apply to humans."

"It just says 'prisoner'. I am a prisoner."

It was quiet for a little while, then Gwen said, "You could become more." Ianto didn't answer her. He stared at the floor. Gwen's thumb brushed his cheek. "Why do you keep denying yourself a bit of freedom?"

"Because there's a price tag on it. Because I'm done with Torchwood. Because Lisa ..." He looked at the photo of him and Lisa on his bedside table. The ice pack followed the motion determinedly and settled back on his black eye. "Because Torchwood killed Lisa." He closed his eyes and ducked his head. "And I could have stopped it from happening." He smiled sadly. "Or at least tried."

"I'm sure there was nothing you could do. As far as I know, Torchwood One was huge. What could one man do against 800?"

Ianto had a flash of a memory – a blue light, a man in a pinstripe suit and Ianto asking the same question. The answer …

Jack's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I want to know why." Ianto and Gwen looked at him. Jack was standing at the plexiglass that formed one of the walls of the cell, his hands in his pockets. There was a bruise forming on his chin. "I want to know where you were running. That's all."

"I can't tell you," Ianto answered. "Because I can't trust you."

"Is it worth your freedom?" Jack asked and leaned against the glass.

"Yes."

Gwen got up. "Jack, maybe you should leave him alone for a while."

"Maybe not," Jack answered. "Go upstairs. Tosh ordered dinner. Or you can go home, be with Rhys."

Gwen seemed undecided for a moment, then she looked back at Ianto. He made a point of avoiding her eyes. She sighed deeply, then her steps headed for the door. When he looked up, he saw her handing Jack the ice pack. Jack held it against his chin and Gwen said, "It's not for you." With that, she left.

Jack entered the cell slowly. "You know that … ending your life … won't bring back Lisa or any of the others."

Ianto swallowed and ducked his head. His hands tugged on the handcuffs. "Of course I know."

"But you're hell-bent on getting yourself killed either way."

"As you so eloquently put it earlier: who would miss me?"

"You disappointed me today. I trusted you and you used that trust against me. Even more so, because of you, UNIT could have hurt Tosh. She's in my custody, just like you, but UNIT still has some power over her in case the placement would not work out. It did, and then you come along and make them doubt my handling of her case. I managed to avoid that today, but it was close."

Ianto closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about that."

"Are you?" Jack asked. "You throw everything I do for you back into my face and all you can say is sorry?"

Ianto tugged at the chain again. "Don't get all high and mighty. I asked for your help when UNIT caught me, but you refused me."

"You weren't my responsibility. And I really doubt if I still want you to become my responsibility." Just then, Jack's mobile beeped. He checked it and pulled a face. "I have to go," he told Ianto, "but we're not done yet. You will face the consequences of what you did this afternoon." With that, he was gone.

Ianto didn't see him or the others again for three days.


	10. Chapter 10

**9.**

Three days later, Jack had once again had the experience of being on the receiving end of torture. He'd managed not to die – the torture being more of a mental kind –, he'd managed not to tell the Gejho anything about Earth's weaponry systems and he'd mostly managed to keep his team out of danger. They'd done the 'coming to the rescue' bit and, of course, the 'killing the Gejho' part. They saved the day, half of Swansea from enslavement and, in the long run, Earth. When Gwen had freed Jack from the chains that had kept him restrained since he'd been found while trying to infiltrate the ship, her eyes had widened. "Jack … it's been three days … Ianto ..."

Now, the door to the Torchwood garage slammed open and Jack crashed through first, his coat flapping. Owen was behind him, his backpack slung over his shoulders. "That's why we don't keep human prisoners!" he yelled. "The Weevils can live without food or water for weeks, but humans can't."

Jack heard Gwen call after them, "Would you shut up already?" Then she and Tosh took the corridor leading to the main Hub to collect some things Owen had told them he would need to help Ianto.

Jack opened the vault doors and ran to Ianto's cell. He opened the cell door and entered, stopping in shock when he saw Ianto lying curled up on the bed, motionless.

"Out of the way," Owen snapped and pushed Jack aside to get to Ianto. "Help me."

Jack shook off his shock to help Owen stretch Ianto out. While Owen examined Ianto, Jack opened the cuffs and distractedly rubbed Ianto's wrists, trying to assess the deep scratches that hadn't been there days ago.

Owen said, "He's running a fever, has got all the signs of severe dehydration but we already suspected that."

Gwen and Tosh joined them, out of breath and with a few IV bags and water bottles in their hands. Gwen asked, "Are those the right ones?"

Owen glanced at the bags. "Yes." He started to set up an IV. Gwen and Tosh put the bags and bottles onto the night stand, then hovered anxiously.

Jack gently turned Ianto's wrist around, finding bloody scrape marks on the underside as well. "He must've tried to escape when he realized we weren't coming back," he said. He looked at Gwen and Tosh. "He didn't know I was captured or that we were busy. He must have thought ..." He couldn't finish the sentence. Tosh paled and pressed shaking fingers against her lips.

Owen touched Jack's arm and nodded at Ianto. Jack looked down to find Ianto's eyes barely open, watching them. Owen addressed Tosh. "Get him water."

Gwen handed Tosh one of the small bottles. "Here."

"Alright," Owen said and snatched the water away, handing it to Jack. "Now get out of here. Unload the SUV."

"Wait a minute," Gwen protested.

Jack shook his head. "He's right. Go. Leave us alone." He gave them a pleading look. "Someone has to create a cover story for what happened in Swansea."

Tosh nodded in understanding and turned away. Gwen gave Owen a glare and then followed her.

Owen checked the drip and then looked at Jack. "Sit down. I have to tend to his hands, you should try and feed him the water." Jack nodded and sat down next to Ianto. Owen helped him to get Ianto to sit up and lean against Jack's chest. "Alright, mate," Owen said softly and put a hand on Ianto's forehead, "drink a bit for me." He turned to Ianto's wrists.

When Jack raised the bottle to Ianto's lips, he turned his head away. "No," he muttered.

"Come on," Jack said gently and pulled Ianto closer, "you need some water."

"No," Ianto answered and strained against Jack's hold. "Let me ..." He tried to push away.

Jack was surprised at his strength. "Owen," he warned, setting the bottle aside to hold on to Ianto with both hands.

"Yes, that's normal. Don't bother. It was worth a try. Just see to it that he doesn't tear out the IV."

Ianto was breathing heavily and sagged back against Jack. "I don't understand," he whispered and Jack leaned closer to understand him properly. Ianto stared at him with solemn, blue eyes. "Shooting me seemed more your style."

xxx

When Jack returned to the cell hours later – showered and the experience of being tortured once more stuffed into a box buried deeply in his subconscious – Owen was just checking Ianto's vitals. Gwen was standing in the door, biting her thumb nail and frowning in concern. Jack asked her, "Is he still asleep?"

She nodded. "Tosh's looking at the CCTV footage in case we missed something."

Jack put his hands on his hips. "Good."

A few seconds of silence passed by, then Gwen cleared her throat. "What will happen now?"

"Now we wait for him to get better."

"It won't be that easy. He almost died of thirst because we didn't think ahead to what would happen if we had to leave for longer than a day."

"That was a mistake. I'm going to fix it." Jack saw Ianto's head move and then his eyes opened slowly. Owen noticed it as well and began to ask him questions. Jack focussed on Gwen. "Leave me alone with him."

"Jack, you're not exactly the most trustworthy person to him."

"I'll fix this," Jack answered. She still seemed undecided. Jack sighed. "I know you want to help him and you can as soon as I'm done. Trust me." She nodded and turned to leave. Jack saw Owen looking at him questioningly. "Are you done?" he asked.

"For now," Owen answered.

"Then leave us alone. I'll call you if I need you." The last bit was a message: _Stay close_. Owen seemed to get it, since he raised his eyebrows, nodded, gathered up his things and left. While Ianto looked at Jack in silence, the door slid shut and Owen's steps faded, then stopped suddenly. Ianto didn't seem to notice.

Finally, Jack sighed and pulled a framed photograph from his back pocket. He sat own on the edge of the bed. "Here," he said and handed Ianto the picture. "Kind of an apology."

Ianto looked at the picture of himself and Lisa, now properly printed out and framed. "Thanks."

"Did Owen explain what happened?" Jack asked.

"I know why you didn't come back," Ianto answered. He shook his head and looked at the IV bag hanging above him. "I don't remember much of the last few days, though. Everything's a blur."

"Owen says that's to be expected."

Ianto nodded slowly. "No handcuffs," he said softly.

"No handcuffs," Jack answered. "The door won't be locked again. You're free to go up into the main Hub where's a kitchen niche with food and drinks and the shower. Certain doors will be locked to keep you down here in the Hub, though. As long as you don't try to open those, everything's okay as far as I'm concerned."

"That's a lot of freedom," Ianto muttered.

"Well, we almost killed you. Has to be good for something."

"I guess you expect me to do something in return for those favours?"

Jack closed his eyes. "No. Those things are for free." He made an effort to smile. "And as far as the archive's concerned, my offer still stands. Even though I want you to organize our files only for the time being. We could set you up in a different room, away from the main archives."

Ianto closed his eyes. "I can't blame you."

"We're not your enemies, Ianto. Look at Gwen and Tosh, at how much of an effort they're making to ensure you're okay. Gwen's given me hell a few times since you've been here."

Ianto smiled carefully. "I guess she's good at that."

"Oh, yes!" Jack said with a grin. "The best." Ianto looked at the picture. Jack cleared his throat. "Listen, take some time and think again about working for me. I'd like to make a fresh start." Ianto didn't answer. Jack could see that it wasn't out of stubbornness; Ianto seemed conflicted, his guilt fighting against his instinct to live. Jack took Ianto's hand and leaned forward, ignoring the startled look he got for the sudden intimacy. "It's not something you want to experience any time soon." He didn't have to tell Ianto what he meant. He could see in his eyes that he knew. "Lisa won't wait for you there." He stared at Ianto beseechingly. Ianto stared right back, then he shifted uncomfortably and Jack realized just how close he was to him. "Sorry," he muttered and leaned back a little.

"It's alright," Ianto answered softly.

"Are you going to tell me where you were running to a few days ago?"

Ianto bit his lip. "It's hard to explain."

"Try."

"Not because it's complicated. Just … hard." He avoided Jack's eyes. "Do you remember Debbie Turner?"

"Debbie Turner," Jack repeated, hoping to jog his memory by saying her name out loud, but aside from a small spark of recognition, he got nothing. Ianto looked at him earnestly. "You should remember her," he said.

"What about her?" Jack asked.

Ianto bit his lip again. "I killed her."


	11. Chapter 11

**10.**

Jack helped Ianto to sit up, leaning against the wall, and handed him a bottle of water. Then he settled against the wall next to him. Ianto took a sip and then started, "Debbie Turner. She worked at Torchwood One with me. Quiet and efficient … and really nice. When the ghost shifts started, she tried to warn everyone. The higher-ups didn't like that. They wanted the ghost shifts to be a success, proof of Torchwood's exceptional cunning in controlling death and life."

"Yvonne always was kind of overeager," Jack said.

Ianto chuckled and shook his head. "Debbie was warned and stopped talking about the ghost shifts – at least that's what I thought, until she approached me one day and talked to me about how the ghost shifts were wrong. I didn't take her seriously. I noticed that she talked to other staff members as well and it didn't take long for Yvonne to hear about it through the grapevine. She had no proof, of course. Everyone Debbie had talked to kept quiet, because she was practically part of the inventory after twenty-six years of working for Torchwood." Ianto sighed sadly. "Of course, Yvonne suspected that Debbie was behind the anti-ghost shift sentiment. She invited everyone in our team into her office, asked about Debbie's work and what she was thinking about the ghost shifts." He swallowed and his fingers started to peel away the label on the bottle. "I was so proud of my job. So proud of being part of something that mattered after being nothing but a … drifter for years and I didn't believe Debbie. I was so in awe of everything. I thought we were doing an important job and that no one at Torchwood would intend to do any harm."

"You betrayed her."

"I told Yvonne the truth. I said that I thought that Debbie was just confused. That it would help if the team working on the ghost shift project would make an official statement as to what they wanted to achieve and how it worked. I said that Debbie would have no problem with it anymore if she just knew what was going on. Nobody told us anything. They just kept telling us how wonderful the ghost shifts were. Shortly after my talk with Yvonne, Debbie was gone."

"What did they do?"

"They took care that she would never talk about the ghost shifts, or anything else for that matter, again." Ianto turned his head to look at Jack. "I looked for her. I found her in a clinic – St. Sophia's. Some colleagues visited her. Debbie was … somehow, they killed her personality, everything she was. They said she was just sitting there …" He sobbed. "... unable to talk or feel or … anything else. The doctors there said that her brain was slowly shutting down, that she would die within the next few months." He wiped at his eyes. "I didn't know what to do. I still couldn't believe that Torchwood would lie to us about the danger of the ghost shifts, but I was torn. Then the Cybermen happened. And then I had to get Lisa out and everyone was dead …"

"So, all you wanted to do was see Debbie and tell her that she was right? To apologize."

Ianto nodded.

Jack shook his head, unable to understand. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Ianto took a deep breath and sniffed. "Torchwood did that to her. And you are Torchwood."

xxx

"Took you long enough," Owen muttered when Jack left Ianto's cell and arrived at his position a few feet down the corridor.

"We talked," Jack answered. He put his hands on his hips. "I actually managed to shed some light. Check up on him and then come upstairs, I need you to look something up for me."

"Alright," Owen answered and picked up his bag with equipment. Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to leave. Owen noticed his slumped shoulders and ducked head and said, "Jack." He turned back around to face Owen with a questioning look. Owen asked, "Are we keeping him or what?"

"I don't know. It's up to him now." His eyes met Owen's, a sharp edge in them. "Why? Still against it? 'Cause I think we both know that I won't send him back to that prison."

Owen nodded. "I didn't want to suggest anything like that. I think … we could do with an archivist."

Jack tilted his head curiously. "How come?"

"It's easy, really," Owen answered. He swallowed, feeling vulnerable opening up, even though this was Jack. The man who'd seen the worst of him. "When he fought you in the cell, reaching for your gun … I was almost at that point one time. At the beginning, after I started here … we chased a Weevil." He could see in Jack's eyes that he remembered the incident. Owen smiled bitterly. It had been a bad week for him, still struggling with his loss and the effect of the medication the therapist had prescribed him, so tired and overwhelmed by his new job. He remembered him and Jack splitting up and then, in a semi-dark alley, the Weevil had suddenly stood before him, all sharp teeth and vicious snarl. And Owen knew that they killed fast and effectively. And it didn't really matter, anyway. So he'd done nothing, just stared at it while it approached with its teeth bared. If it hadn't been for Jack … "My gun didn't misfire," Owen said softly.

Jack heaved a deep sigh. "I know."

"So when he grabbed that gun," Owen started again, "I kind of ..." He looked for the right words.

Jack suggested, "You looked into the abyss and the abyss looked into you?"

Owen chuckled nervously. "Something like that."

Jack nodded and put a hand on Owens shoulder. "I know the feeling." He turned to leave.

"That doesn't mean that I trust him."

"I know."

xxx

"Debbie Turner," Owen said half an hour later, reading from a file on his computer screen. "She was found unresponsive near the St. Sophia's clinic. They took her in, tried to get her to talk and take part in life again but she refused to. Her brain shut down for some reason and nobody knew why. There was no physical reason for it. They assumed she has a trauma. The police investigated, but came up with loose ends. Her case is cold."

Jack, who was standing behind Owen with crossed arms, sighed deeply. "So … he was telling the truth."

"Looks that way," Owen said.

Gwen, standing next to Jack, shuddered. "Could Torchwood One just do that? Just … switch you off?"

"Yes," Jack answered, "there are chemicals that can do that. Torchwood has always been about exploiting such things, especially Torchwood One. _'If it's alien, it's ours.'_ That's what they said. Yvonne told me once that they'd found an alternative to Retcon. I would have never imagined that it was something like this."

Tosh leaned back in her chair and played with her glasses thoughtfully. "What are we going to do now?" Everyone looked at her. "About Ianto, I mean."

Owen answered, "Well, whatever Ianto thinks, Debbie is not dead."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"I called the clinic. They say that Debbie's okay. Not fine, but okay."

Tosh stood up and joined them at Owen's desk. "So Ianto could still see her. Tell her that she was right."

"What for?" Owen asked. "She's catatonic."

"That doesn't mean she can't hear someone talking to her. She might just be unable to respond," Tosh replied.

Everyone looked at Jack, awaiting his decision. While Owen's stare was neutral, Gwen and Tosh looked at him with similarly pleading eyes. He was a lost cause and closed his eyes in defeat. "Fine. Someone will have to go with-"

Gwen said eagerly, "I'll do it!"

Jack took a deep breath. "Apparently, we have a volunteer." Worried, he looked at her. "Can you drive? After the last few days ..."

She nodded. "No problem. While we were looking for a way to get you out, we took turns. We all got some sleep."

Jack looked at Owen who nodded in confirmation. "Fine," Jack said. "Where is that clinic?"

"South of London," Owen answered.

"Fine. Gwen, you get twelve hours at the most. Three hours 'til London, three hours back, that gives Ianto about six hours to talk to Debbie. That should be enough."

She nodded with a wide smile. "We'll head out right away, stop for breakfast somewhere, then we'll be at the clinic when visiting hours start." She grabbed her jacket off her chair and leaned up to plant a kiss on Jack's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. With that, she hurried towards the cells.

Tosh placed another, rather shy kiss on Jack's other cheek. "Yes, thank you." She returned to her workstation.

Owen rolled his eyes. "Don't even think about asking me for a kiss."

Jack shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for hoping."

"You're gross." Owen glanced at Tosh. "They've got you wrapped around their little fingers, those two."

Jack laughed. "And don't they know how to use that to their advantage."

xxx

When Gwen arrived at Ianto's cell, she noticed that Owen had removed the IV. Ianto was sitting leaning against the wall with a waterbottle in one hand and his eyes closed.

"Ianto," Gwen said softly when she entered the cell through the open door.

He opened his eyes. "Yes?"

Gwen sat on the edge of his bed. "We looked Debbie up, she's still alive."

Ianto stared at her in disbelief. "She's alive? But ..." He seemed to make an effort to calm down and asked, "Can I see her?"

Gwen nodded with a grin. "Yes … I can drive you to London right away. Jack said it's okay."

She saw a smile light up Ianto's whole face and he looked younger than ever. Then his smile lessened and he seemed uncomfortable. "But … why?"

He pulled on the sneakers the team had provided him with. Gwen got up and reached down a hand to pull Ianto upright. "Because if you give him a chance, Jack can be a really good guy. It's all about trust. You trusted him with Debbie, now he trusts you."

"But he's sending a babysitter anyway?" Ianto asked and there was a twinkle in his eyes that made Gwen think he could be quite a humorous person. He just needed time.

"Don't think of me as your babysitter."

He looked up at her questioningly. She smiled. "Think of me as a friend, alright?" She held her breath while Ianto seemed to mull that over.

Finally, he smiled. "A friend … right." He squeezed her hand.

Gwen smiled at him. "Let's go."

xxx

Jack's phone rang while he was watching Ianto and Gwen get into Gwen's car via the CCTV. Distracted by the footage, he answered, "Harkness?"

"_This is Leo. Jack, I hate pointing this out to you, but Ianto is on the run again."_

Jack leaned back in his chair and relaxed. With a smile, he answered, "No, he has an agent with him."

"_Where is he going?"_

"None of your business," Jack answered. "He's under the supervision of one of my agents, that's all you need to know."

"_Am I to understand then that you decided to keep him?"_

Jack rubbed his lower lip and looked at the CCTV. Gwen's car was gone now. Jack fought down a spark of worry, that nagging little voice in his head that always mistrusted everyone. What if Ianto had played him again? What if … he cleared his throat and answered firmly, "Yes."

"_I'm glad to hear that. Give me a call when Ianto's ready to have that chip removed."_

"I will," Jack promised. "And, Leo … it was rough for a while and I didn't know what to do with him, but … I think you were right, again. Thank you."

"_I didn't want him to die here. So I have to thank you, Jack." _Leo hung up.

Jack sighed deeply and tried to work on a file, but he kept getting distracted. Yes, they seemed to have mended some fences with Ianto, but there was still a lot to be done. Jack didn't think that one visit with Debbie, as much good as it would do Ianto, would take care of his problems. He remembered how broken Owen had been in the beginning and how he'd slowly come to terms with everything by getting the chance to save lives that, in his mind, were amends for Katie's death even though that hadn't been Owen's fault at all. As much as the invasion and the death of almost all his colleagues weren't Ianto's fault, he would still somehow see it that way, because human nature was twisted like that. He pulled up Ianto's file on his computer, checking if he had been trained for field work in some way. He wasn't going to let him out as a full field agent, of course – not yet, the trust was still too fragile – but it would be good to know.

xxx

St. Sophia's was situated in a quiet part of South London. The big marble sign at the iron entrance gate introduced it as a 'home' and the big garden with its neat pathways and the cream-coloured walls of the mansion housing the clinic itself made sure that everyone felt welcome. A guard at the gate let them through with a smile after handing them two visitor passes. Gwen couldn't even imagine what kind of money one had to pay to get treatment here and she wondered briefly how Debbie could afford to live here, considering she didn't have any relatives paying for her. But then again, she knew from her own experience that working for Torchwood came with perks – a very good health plan was part of it.

She parked the car in the small parking lot and got out to breathe in the crisp air. The sun was shining, making St. Sophia's even more beautiful. If it hadn't been for the bars in front of the upper windows, this could have just as well have been a wellness resort. Ianto looked at the building with dread. Gwen gave him an encouraging smile.

The reception of the clinic was a tastefully furnished room with a desk for the receptionist and a seating area for visitors. A red, plush carpet dampened the sound of their steps. Ianto stopped suddenly and asked, "What am I supposed to say to her?"

"I think it'll come to you when you see her, Ianto," Gwen answered and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She led him to the desk. The nurse behind it was on the phone and signaled for them to wait a moment. Gwen looked at Ianto searchingly. "This means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"It was practically me who put her here, so yes," Ianto answered, "it means a lot. I just don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can see her … the way she is now. Maybe she won't even be able to hear me."

"I'll be with you," Gwen said, "and I'm sure she'll hear on some level. Maybe she won't react, but she will hear you."

The nurse rang off and turned to them with a smile. "Yes?"

Ianto seemed almost startled by the sudden attention he was receiving, so Gwen took over. "We'd like to see Debbie Turner, please. Where can we find her?"

The nurse turned to her computer and typed something. Her face darkened. "Oh, I'm incredibly sorry. It says in her file that Ms. Turner died an hour ago."

Gwen glanced at Ianto who had gone deathly pale. "What?" he asked.

The nurse frowned at him in concern. "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?" Ianto just shook his head and turned away. The nurse looked at Gwen. "I'm sorry. Are you family?"

"No," Gwen answered, "just friends." She smiled at the nurse and led Ianto over to one of the couches. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as soon as they'd sat down.

Ianto stared at the floor. "I killed her."

"No, you didn't. Ianto ..." Gwen leaned closer and said firmly, "The people who did this to her killed her."

"I betrayed her," Ianto said and buried his head in his trembling hands. "She was the only one looking out for me on my first day on the job and I betrayed her."

"You couldn't have known they would do this ..." Gwen could see that her words were having no effect when Ianto just wrapped his arms around his middle and leaned forward as far as he could without falling over. He was trembling, his breathing fast and ragged. He didn't cry, though. Not one single tear fell. Feeling helpless, Gwen tried to embrace him as well as she could and shed a few tears in his stead.


	12. Chapter 12

**11.**

Jack leaned back on the couch just behind Owen and Tosh's desks in the main Hub and took a bite out of his slice of pizza. He would send Owen and Tosh home soon to ensure they had a good night's sleep. It would be an earlier end to their working days than usual, but then again, they'd spent three days barely sleeping to save Swansea and almost another twenty-four hours here in the Hub in the aftermath of Ianto's almost-death. They deserved an early night. But he had to talk to them first. "I'm thinking about including Ianto more, maybe train him up for the field," he said into the silence.

Tosh and Owen, both of them sitting in their desk chairs, looked up from their pizza boxes. Tosh nodded. "I think that's a good idea."

Owen raised one eyebrow. "Are we sure about that? I mean, the archives is one thing, but taking him out in the field? We still barely know him, right, and our life would depend on him?"

Jack had to admit that Owen had a point. Nevertheless … "I want to give him a chance."

"Yeah? I'm all for giving chances." Tosh and Jack threw him dubious looks and Owen raised his hands in defense. "Really, I am, but we shouldn't move too fast here. Not so long ago, he trapped us in a time distortion field."

Tosh answered, "Because he wanted to go and see Debbie."

"No, because he wanted to go and get himself killed," Owen replied. Tosh ducked her head and put her pizza slice down. Owen cleared his throat. "It's the truth. I don't want to get killed because he decides it's time to end his own life. We depend too much on each other in the field."

Jack said, "I'm not saying that I want to take him with us tomorrow, Owen. He will live in the Hub for at least two months. I want to watch him during that time, train him up and then decide what to do about him. I just think being an archivist won't be enough for him. He's too much of a fighter."

Owen shrugged. Before he could answer, though, Gwen entered the main Hub from the corridor leading down to the garage.

"Hey!" Jack said with a smile. "Back already? How did it go?"

"Debbie's dead," Gwen said. Jack's smile faltered and he felt a weight settle in his stomach. He put his pizza box on the small coffee table, not hungry anymore. Gwen added, "She died before Ianto could talk to her."

Tosh put a hand on her mouth in shock.

"Where is he?" Jack asked.

"The cell." Gwen brushed her hands through her dark hair tiredly.

Tosh asked, "How did he take it?"

"Not good. He didn't say anything on our way back, just stared out the window. The only time he spoke was when he told me to leave him alone a few minutes ago." She sighed. "He's convinced he killed Debbie."

"He didn't," Tosh said.

"I told him the same," Gwen answered.

Owen shook his head. "Doesn't matter. If he's convinced that he could have done more to save her, nothing will change that." He sighed, a sad look crossing his face. "He'll just have to learn to move on. Trust me, I know."

A few moments, silence reigned, then Jack couldn't sit still anymore and got up. Gwen grabbed his arm when he wanted to pass her by. "He doesn't want to see anyone," she said.

"I don't care," Jack answered. "Go home, all of you. Sleep the last few days off. See you tomorrow around noon." With that, he hurried downstairs.

xxx

Jack sat down on the edge of Ianto's camp bed and put a hand on his back. Ianto didn't react. He just kept staring at the picture of himself and Lisa that was standing on the nightstand. Tears were running down one cheek. The other was hidden from sight, buried in the pillow.

Softly, Jack said, "I'm sorry."

Ianto closed his eyes. Jack's hand rubbed soothing circles on his back. Ianto took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk."

"You don't have to." Jack brushed his hand through Ianto's hair. "Just let me sit here for a while. Got nothing else to do."

xxx

_Images of Lisa and Debbie, pulled away by force, screaming, shot, forced to drink poison, dying utterly alone … then Ianto himself kicking and hitting a door, screaming for he didn't care who, because the fire was closing in on him and the door mechanism had short-circuited and there was no other way out … then the door swung open, a blue light, a pinstripe suit, dark eyes and a wide smile … "You poor child ..."_

Ianto woke with a start and lay in his camp bed for a few minutes, panting and shivering, tangled in the blanket. Jack was gone. It was quiet, the lights low – night.

Ianto sat up and put on his hoodie. He wouldn't be able to go to sleep anymore, so he decided to have a shower and then a look around. He remembered the way to the showers and after he'd spent an extraordinarily long time under the hot water, he went upstairs to the main Hub. It was quiet and dim here, too, just Tosh's computers beeping softly and the water running down the sculpture, echoes thrown across the cavernous room. It was almost peaceful.

Ianto felt calm, and, to his own surprise, at home. A glance showed him that Jack's office was abandoned and he wondered if he'd been left behind again, if something had happened ... but when he turned around, he found Jack lying stretched out on the couch, holding a file and looking at him. Ianto felt embarrassed all of a sudden, like an intruder, even though he didn't quite know why. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to decide what to do. Jack sat up and patted the now empty space beside him, then he lifted a pile of files from the floor and set them on the table. "My budget has a hole the size of Wales in it. I can't figure out how to cut our expenses."

Ianto recognized an outstretched hand when he encountered one. "I could."

Jack smiled. "I figured."


	13. Chapter 13

**12.**

They seemed to have come to a quiet understanding. Ianto and Jack worked peacefully together over the next few weeks and the rest of the team picked up on the changes between them. A dynamic was established that consisted of Ianto staying at the Hub while Jack and the others went out on retrievals. Ianto worked in the archives, did the filing and took over other tasks to make the team's work easier. He ate lunch with them and was slowly accepted in their midst. He spent the nights at the Hub, talking to Jack or helping him with his paperwork before retiring to his cell. They developed a tentative friendship based on too many losses and having seen the worst of each other, and it worked.

Sometimes, though, Ianto caught himself looking at Jack for a bit longer than was appropriate. With Jack returning his looks with a smile or a wink, it was easy to forget about his situation. It almost felt normal and Ianto missed normal so much it hurt. He missed the warmth of another body close to his, hugs and kisses and passion. And he felt incredibly guilty for missing it since Lisa had only been dead for about half a year now. He couldn't help being drawn towards Jack, though, who was just always there and attentive, funny and earnest, gorgeous and careful.

And then everything changed again when a Rift alert came in one evening and Jack burst into Ianto's cell, interrupting a night of hot cocoa and reading in bed. "Gwen's on a date with Rhys, Tosh and Owen are on a retrieval in Swansea, so that leaves you."

Ianto stared at him. "You want me to-"

"Yes," Jack answered. "Hurry up." He grinned and winked. "Keep on the pajamas if you want, though. It looks dead sexy."

Ianto blushed and Jack bit his lip, suddenly seeming self-conscious. It was obvious that he was trying to keep the flirting to a minimum. Ianto suspected that he felt uncomfortable because Ianto was technically still his prisoner.

"Right," Ianto said and got up from the bed. "I'll be at the SUV in two minutes."

Jack nodded. He turned to go and Ianto heard him calling UNIT to let them know that he was taking Ianto out on a retrieval. The chip was still somewhere within his body. Despite Leo's attempts to convince General Thompson, UNIT was cautious about removing it. Jack thought it was because they liked riling him up, Ianto thought it was because they liked being in charge.

He changed into jeans and a t-shirt and pulled on his hoodie and sneakers, then he followed Jack towards the garage. He couldn't help but smile. A retrieval! He hadn't left the Hub for weeks and now Jack was trusting him enough to take him with him.

He smiled when he settled into the passenger seat. "Do you know what it is?"

Jack winked at him. "I had a look at the CCTV. Trust me, you will love this."

xxx

Ianto laughed loudly and turned his head to follow the big creature that was flying around the abandoned warehouse above his and Jack's heads. "Oh, my God! It's a pteranodon."

"I thought you would like it," Jack said with a grin. "I bet you were all over your dinosaur books when you were a child."

"This is amazing," Ianto said and looked at Jack. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For showing me this."

"Are you kidding?" Jack asked and held up a ridiculously huge syringe. "I need help catching that beast." He grinned at Ianto. "You distract it and I put it under."

Ianto hesitated. "Are you sure that'll work?"

"You will make it work," Jack answered with certainty. Ianto looked around the warehouse, seeing nothing but a big, empty, dirty room. Nothing that would help him distract the creature that had come through the Rift from the past. The pteranodon screeched and landed on the other side of the warehouse, eying them mistrustfully. Ianto looked at Jack, who just raised a challenging eyebrow. "You want to start doing fieldwork? Then help me," he said.

Ianto huffed an annoyed breath and approached the pteranodon carefully, making a semi-circle around it. He whistled until it looked at him with its head tipped to the side questioningly. Jack came up behind it, his hand with the syringe raised and ready.

Ianto raised both hands and slowly approached the creature. "Hello there," he said. The creature looked at him with obvious disapproval. Ianto nodded. "Hi!"

The pteranodon screeched.

"I don't think she likes me very much," Ianto said.

Jack mouthed, _'She?'_

Ianto shrugged. He patted his pockets and found a chocolate bar. "Look at that," he said to the creature. It tilted its head curiously. "Yeah, that's right," Ianto said. He opened the plastic foil. "This is for you." He kept an eye on Jack who slowly inched closer to the pteranodon. Ianto held the chocolate in its direction. "You want a bite?" It came a tentative step closer. "I bet you do," Ianto said. He removed the foil and threw the chocolate on the floor. The pteranodon shuffled closer and sniffed it. Then it ate the bar in one go.

Jack used that opportunity to strike. He grabbed one of the creature's ankles, intending to plunge the syringe in its thigh, but the pteranodon had other ideas. It screeched in protest, flapped its wings and flew up, taking Jack with it.

"Jack!" Ianto screamed. He ran after them, hearing Jack cry out happily before he used the syringe. "No, Jack, you'll fall!" Ianto shouted, but it was already too late. The pteranodon lost height, screeched and then dropped to the floor. Ianto thought he could hear something crack.

Silence.

"Jack!" Ianto called and ran over to them. He shoved the creature away to uncover Jack and checked his pulse, but the unnatural angle his head was lying at already told him everything he needed to know. "No," he whispered. "Jack." There was no pulse. He was dead.

Ianto backed away from him a few feet and sank to the floor. What was he supposed to do now? He stared at Jack's body, completely at a loss and strangely numb. He took a deep breath. "I have to call someone," he told himself and the best choice was, "Owen." Carefully, with trembling hands, he searched Jack's coat pockets and found his mobile. "Sorry," he whispered. "Sorry."

He turned away and went outside into the cool night air, not able to look at the body anymore. The area around the warehouse was abandoned as well. Nature had already started to take it back. The city lights seemed impossibly far away.

With tears in his eyes, Ianto found Owen's number in Jack's contacts and took a deep breath, bracing himself for the inevitable call. Just when he was about to, an arm snaked around him from behind, grabbing the mobile out of his hand. Ianto shoved his assailant back and heard a surprised grunt. He whirled around and placed a right hook. The other man fell, tangled in his blue greatcoat, and that was when Ianto recognized him.

"Stop it!" Jack said, both hands raised.

Ianto stumbled backwards and to the ground. "You're dead! I checked your pulse!"

"I know," Jack said calmly, keeping his hands raised. "I know. But I'm not."

"Who are you?" Ianto asked. "_What_ are you?"

"Jack Harkness," he answered, "leader of Torchwood Three. I'm the guy you know, Ianto."

"You're not." Ianto shook his head. Jack got up and came towards him, but Ianto raised his hand. "No, stay there!"

"You're Torchwood, Ianto, you have to know that there are things that are beyond Earth."

Ianto got up, pointing one angry finger at Jack. "And they're dangerous!"

"Even the Doctor?"

"The ..." Ianto hesitated, then he slowly said, "Especially the Doctor."

"That's not true and you know it," Jack answered.

_Ianto's palms and feet felt numb from kicking and hitting the door that refused him passage. The fire behind him was coming closer, the air thick with smoke and choking him ever so slowly. He knew that he would probably die here, because nobody would be able to override the short-circuited door mechanism and in the chaos that was the battle of Torchwood One against the Daleks and Cybermen, nobody would even care that Ianto was trapped in here. Nevertheless, the thought of Lisa trapped somewhere in this building, probably in danger of being converted into a Cyberman, kept him going. Suddenly, the door opened and Ianto looked into the dark eyes of a skinny, tall man wearing a pinstripe-suit. "There you go," he said as if the tower wasn't burning down around them. He pocketed a pen or … no, it wasn't a pen, it was some kind of device. Ianto knew immediately who he was. Everybody had seen CCTV footage of him today. It had been sent from one department to the other, accompanied by incredulous e-mails. He was here, he was really here and Ianto was standing in front of him, close enough to touch._

_The Doctor was turning to run, but Ianto grabbed his hand. He was close enough to touch, close enough to hit and hurt, because the coincidence was just too big. The Doctor turning up in his time machine and then the invasion starting only a few hours later. Surely, the Torchwood Charter was right, no matter that he'd just saved Ianto's life – the Doctor was their enemy."You did this!" Ianto said. "You're responsible for this!" _

"_Why should I be?" the Doctor asked. He was standing still, staring at Ianto in disbelief. "Why would I do this to you?" _

"_It's not a coincidence. You turning up and then them."_

_Suddenly, the Doctor put a hand on Ianto's cheek, his forefinger pressing into his temple. Ianto couldn't move, even though he tried to. He gasped at the feeling of another mind caressing his and he got dizzy. The Doctor's cool hand on his face seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright. "You poor child," the Doctor said. "You brought this down on yourselves." He shook his head sadly and Ianto could hear a woman scream. It was Debbie Turner, begging her colleagues to believe her when she was dragged away. The Doctor leaned in as if to kiss him, but he just whispered, "She was right. You know deep down that she was right." He let go and Ianto stumbled. He braced himself against a wall. "Torchwood did this, Ianto Jones. Don't let them fool you." With that he was gone. _

Jack shook his head. "The Doctor isn't our enemy, he's one of he most wonderful beings the universe ever created."

Ianto swallowed. "One of the most terrifying beings," he corrected.

"That, too," Jack said with a nod. "You met him. I can see that you met him. When he touches a life he leaves behind scars visible to those who bear them, too."

Ianto stared at Jack. "You ..."

"This … condition I'm in happened while I was with him. I died and then I woke up again." He smiled. "I don't know why, but maybe someday, I will." He became serious. "It's a secret, Ianto. Nobody is allowed to know."

"You're full of secrets."

"I'm afraid I am," Jack said with a nod. He cupped Ianto's cheek. "But you can trust me."

Ianto looked into Jack's eyes, deep and mysterious and so old, and suddenly, he wanted to kiss him. Jack seemed to read that wish because he leaned in and brushed his lips against Ianto's – imploringly, softly, carefully … and then Ianto came to his senses. He turned his head and took a step back. "I'm sorry," he said. He didn't quite know who he was apologizing to – Jack or Lisa.

"It's okay," Jack answered. "Really." He sighed. "Let's get that bird back into the Hub."

xxx

"It's Lisa," Ianto said the same evening, sitting on one of the upper levels of the main Hub with Jack, their feet dangling over the edge of the walkway while their new pet Myfanwy circled the water tower. "It's not you at all."

"You need time," Jack answered with a nod. "I understand that, Ianto."

"She doesn't even have a gravesite. Or at least none with her in it."

Jack bit his lip. There was nothing he could say to contradict that. It was true. It was likely that Lisa had been incinerated and her remains stored away somewhere in a UNIT facility. The grave her family would keep for her would be empty or UNIT had provided ashes. It was a practice Torchwood and UNIT shared. The storing away of dangerous corpses or their remains and the lying to relatives. Sometimes it disgusted Jack but there was just no other way.

"I think …," Ianto said and there were tears in his voice. "I keep thinking that I could have stopped it. If I had just supported Debbie."

Jack took his hand. "Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do. Even if you had stood by her, you would have ended the same as her."

"Maybe … maybe others would have joined us and we could have ..." He hesitated.

"What?"

Ianto looked at him. "I don't know."

"Believe me, you wouldn't have been able to stop this. Yvonne, everyone involved in that project, were too far gone. They didn't even listen to the Doctor."

Ianto sighed deeply and squeezed Jack's hand. "Maybe you're right."

Jack nodded. "Maybe … You will never know. So stop beating yourself up about it. Take it from someone who's made far too many mistakes."


	14. Chapter 14

**13.**

Leo Stark shook Jack's hand as soon as he entered the main Hub through the cogwheel door. His eyes took in the Hub with a glance, lighting up when he saw Myfanwy leave her nest high above the ground to catch a fish in the pond at the base of the water tower. Jack had told him about their new pet, but only now that he could see her, did he really believe it to be true. It hadn't been necessary for him to come to Torchwood Three. He knew that they could have settled this via mail, but he took every chance he got to get out of the UNIT prison for a while. Especially now that he could see light at the end of the tunnel. A position had opened in administration and Leo had been offered the job. It would mean a move to Washington DC, but in the long run, he knew it would be worth it. So this visit was more than just tying up loose ends in Ianto and Toshiko's cases – it was the last chance to see Jack for a long time to come. His eyes found Jack's and he grinned.

Jack returned the smile, but couldn't resist a small jab. "Took you long enough."

"It took ages to talk Thompson into it," Leo said. He sighed. "But I could finally make it clear to her that Ianto is of no interest to us anymore. Not now that we have found the logs on Torchwood One's saved hard drives and can say that he had nothing to do with what happened. I could convince her that he has no knowledge about cybertechnology or their civilization, since all he did was make a bad call in rescuing his girlfriend."

"I told you so," a voice said from behind Jack.

Leo and Jack turned to see Ianto lingering in the shadows of a corridor. He looked better than the last time Leo had seen him. There was now a bit of color back in his cheeks and his eyes, though still a bit haunted, seemed clear and attentive.

Leo straightened his shoulders. "Yes, you did," he admitted.

"You tortured me for nothing," Ianto said. There was no anger behind his voice, just sadness.

Leo nodded again, taking the blame.

Jack looked at Leo. "So, are we going to do this or what?"

Leo nodded and got an envelope out of his briefcase. "We'll have to sign some papers first." He looked at Ianto. "Then Dr. Harper can remove the chip. That makes you a prisoner in Torchwood's custody."

Jack nodded and addressed Ianto, "Go and get ready for the surgery."

"He will only need local anesthesia," Leo said, "in his right shoulder. The chip is beneath his shoulder blade."

"Wicked," Jack commented then nodded towards his office.

Leo laid out the necessary paperwork on Jack's desk and Jack signed it. Then he signed Toshiko's paperwork as well. Now, both of them were officially Torchwood's prisoners and the decision over their fate rested solely on Jack's shoulders. Leo was a bit sad that he couldn't see Toshiko. But, as Jack said, she was out on a call with Gwen Cooper.

Leo took the seat Jack offered him. "I knew you would give him a chance," he said.

Jack smiled and settled in his own chair. "Could have gone wrong. It was a bit rocky for a while there."

"He seems fine now."

"He's okay." Jack sighed. "Now that he's found his determination and will to live again."

"I never thought you were a good leader," Leo said and Jack raised his eyebrows. Leo shrugged. "But you're a great caretaker."

"It's the same, though, at the end of the day."

"Maybe here," Leo answered. He smiled sadly. "Me? I have to go home at the end of each day and wonder whose torture I will have to sign off on tomorrow."

"You could join us. You know there's a place for you here. Always."

"You told me that years ago."

"It's still true," Jack answered.

Leo leaned forwards and took his hand. "Thank you, Jack, but I'm a bit too old for this line of work. Besides, I've been offered a job in DC."

Jack entwined their fingers. "That's wonderful. Will William go with you?"

"Of course," Leo answered. "We're civil partners now."

"Then you really shouldn't be holding hands with other men."

Leo grinned. "You're an ex-lover. Different rules." He sighed wistfully. "To be that young again ..."

"What you have is better," Jack answered. "You've built yourself a life. I can never have that. Every time I start … I can never finish it."

Leo nodded sadly.

"That's why I had to let you go back then," Jack explained.

"I know," Leo answered and smiled when Jack looked at him in confusion. "I know you better than most people, Jack, don't forget that." He got up and collected the paperwork. "Just don't stay lonely."

"I'm practically on my way out the door. The Doctor-"

"I know," Leo said with a grave nod. "I really hope he can give you what you're looking for, Jack." With that he turned away and left the office.

Jack sighed deeply. "Me too."

xxx

Ianto took the pen and then hesitated. Jack inclined his head slightly. "Problem?"

"No," Ianto answered, "not really." He gave an embarrassed smile. "This is just … a big step."

"I would go even further and say it's the beginning of a new life."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that. Now I'm really nervous."

Jack laughed. "There is no need," he explained and leaned back in his chair. "Five years here and then it's up to you what to do." He smiled. "And we're going flat hunting tomorrow."

"Rift permitting," Ianto said.

Jack nodded. "Rift permitting."

Ianto prepared to sign his contract again … and hesitated yet again. "Before I do this … I wanted to thank you."

"It's okay, Ianto," Jack answered. "You needed help. I could provide it."

Ianto shook his head. "You did something you didn't have to do. Something you didn't even want to do, so … thanks are in order, really." He swallowed. "You saved my life."

Jack nodded and looked at Ianto with a warm smile. Ianto returned it and they stayed locked in that silent exchange, until someone knocked at Jack's door and Owen entered. "Are you coming or what? We're waiting."

Gwen appeared next to him. "What's taking you so long? We want to go and celebrate."

Tosh stepped up next to her, looking at Ianto and Jack questioningly. Ianto caught her eyes and she smiled with a small nod of encouragement. He smiled back.

Jack said, "We'll be with you in a minute."

Owen rolled his eyes and herded the others back into the main Hub. Ianto signed his name under the contract and handed it back to Jack who signed it as well. "That's it then," Jack said.

Ianto took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Happy?"

Ianto nodded.

Jack put his hand over Ianto's. "You'll see, it won't be that bad."

Ianto grinned. "Oh yeah, running for my life and facing the Rift's flotsam and jetsam on a daily basis ... a piece of cake."

Jack got up from his chair and fetched his coat from the hanger. "This job has its perks."

Ianto raised one eyebrow and Jack spread his arms, indicating himself in answer. Ianto laughed. "Really?"

Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah." Then he leaned down to whisper into Ianto's ear, "There's quite a list."

END

09/11


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